Across the River, Part Two

Tim felt himself falling asleep in the chair beside Charlie's hospital bed. He had told her that he wouldn't leave, and he wasn't going to. He decided to stand up and do some walking around to stay awake. He knew he didn't exactly need to stay awake, as Mr. Brand's security people were doing their job outside the door.

I wonder what his interest in the Chosen is. Probably just like that Kennedy guy, wants to make money helping them. Hmph, now that I think about it, why aren't there any of his guys here?

He sighed, then pushed the thought out of his mind. It really didn't matter. There were guards that would be enough to protect Charlie, and he was just fine with that. He needed that.

He sat back down in his chair just as an attractive older woman walked into the room, a police badge attached to her belt. She walked up to Charlie's bed and sighed. "She asleep?" the woman asked him.

"Yeah."

She held out her hand, he shook it. "Detective Cheryl Holden, Frank's cousin. Can we talk outside?" Tim nodded and followed the woman out into the hallway, out of earshot of anyone else. "You know Frank's a Chosen, right?" He nodded. "Good. It's a pretty big source of debate in our family, especially because I'm not a big fan of super heroes messing up my job for me."

"Charlie's dad used to say the same thing."

"Well, Frank came to see me earlier, told me what he and that Knight guy are doing, hunting down this Joker guy, and I told him to keep me in the loop."

"What's this got to do with Charlie?"

She shrugged. "I was hoping that girl could tell me where he is. He was supposed to call me once every hour, but he's been missing for about two hours, and I need to find him."

"Because he's family?"

"That, and he's the only solid lead on the Joker."

"Well, Charlie's asleep, and I don't wanna make her wake up."

"Kid, it's a matter of life and death."

"She's been traumatized, y'know. She saw the Joker on TV and I couldn't get her to stop shaking or crying for hours. If I make her wake up so that you can ask her a question she probably doesn't know the answer to, seeing as Frank hasn't been here since yesterday, I don't know what that'll do to her, so I'm not going to ake her up."

She gave him an annoyed look. She sighed. "Fine, you're coming with me."

Tim raised an eyebrow. "Say what now?"

She poked him in the chest. "Look, kid, I need to find my cousin, he's into some serious shit and he's my only lead on the Joker since your girlfriend won't talk. So that leaves you to help me. Seeing as you've got personal stakes in this, too, you should be pretty cooperative. If not, I can have you arrested for impeeding an investigation."

He sighed. Sounds just like Charlie's dad... "Okay. Where to first?"

"You're okay with this?"

"Well, you kinda just told me I had to come, you're a cop, and your cousin is in trouble. My girlfriend's a super hero, if I said no, I'd pretty much be spitting on everything she stands for."

She smirked. "Wish I'd had as dedicated a boyfriend as you when I was your age. Our first stop is a club a few blocks away from where I last talked to Frank."

"Club?"

She smiled.

***

The Joker pulled up a chair and sat down across from Seeker. He flexed his fingers a little, straightened his back, crossed his legs. He smiled. He liked smiling. He cracked his knuckles and then rested his hands on his lap. He felt happy, he felt as though he was in control. Of course, he rarely ever felt otherwise, but that didn't matter to him. He loved feeling in control.

He looked at the other chair, sitting underneath the lone light in the room. Seeker was looking down at his feet, resting in a pool of blood. There were streaks of blood in his hair, cuts, bruises and lacerations all over his body, and in general, Seeker just didn't look like a happy person.

The Joker didn't like that.

***

Tim got out of Detective Holden's car and then stopped before entering the building. He took a look at her and saw her smiling at him. "What's the matter?" she asked. "Don't want to see some nekkid ladies?" He looked back toward the building, the giant Friendly Citizens Upholding Priorities, otherwise read as F-CUPS. He looked back over at Detective Holden. "C'mon, boobies all over the place, buddy."

He sighed. "There's a lead in here?"

"Join the police some time, kid, there's always a lead in a strip club." She walked forward, into the building. Tim sighed and followed her. Apparently, walking in with a cop meant that you didn't have to show ID, or pay, or so Tim observed. He looked around at all the strippers, mostly in suspended cages, Just like all the movies he'd seen with strip clubs in them, there were women dancing on poles, there was a runway where women would walk out, maybe two at a time. The whole thing looked so stereotypical that he wanted to laugh. "There," she said, pointing at a man sitting on a couch surrounded by half a dozen topless women. "I'll do all the talking, you just be sure to grab him if he rabbits."

"Fine by me."

She looked back at him. "You can fight, right?"

"I ran track before I switched to home school."

She shrugged. She walked over to the man and stood in front of him, blocking his view of the many strippers throughout the room. He tried moving from side to side, but she remained in his way, smiling as she did. She pulled her badge off of her belt and held it up for him to see.

He turned to another man. "Somebody wanna get this broad out of the way?" He turned back to her. "Listen, doll, I'm here to watch the titties, and I'm not doin' anything wrong."

She pushed the table sitting in front of him over and placed her foot right on his crotch. The topless women ran away while the man that had been called to arrived, his gun pointed straight at Detective Holden. Tim watched in surprise. She looked extremely calm. Cops in Larsen City. Guess they've seen everything.

"Larry, Larry, Larry..." She made a tsk noise. "I was hoping we'd work together on this." She pulled her gun out and pointed it at the other guy. "Call your dog off and I won't take his ear off."

"The hell do you want, bitch?"

"The Joker. Where the hell is he?"

"Why would I know that?"

She ripped open his shirt, revealing a foot-shaped bruise on his chest. "'Cause I think you helped him kidnap a kid who can kick you six miles high. And you did that tonight."

He spat in her face. "Get fucked, bitch!"

She wiped the spit off of her face. "Bad move." She squeezed the trigger, grazing the man with the gun right across the side of his face. Anyone who hadn't noticed the situation quickly started making their way out of the building, quickly leaving the only four occupants of Tim, Detective Holden, Larry, and the guy with the gun who was trying to stop the blood flow from his face. "I'm not gonna ask again. Tell me."

***

The night had been a bust. I found myself back at my building, looking out at the city while waiting for Seeker to either show up or radio. I hadn't heard from him all night. If I knew where to look for him, I'd head there right now. All I could do was wait. Dammit.

That was when my radio filled with static. I reached up and touched the side of my cowl. "Kid? Where the hell are you?"

It wasn't Seeker that answered. I wanted it to be Seeker, and it wasn't. Laughter filled my headset. "Hello, hello, Knight," the Joker said, "I've been talking to your little friend here, and he's shared some interesting interesting things! Oh, don't worry, I still don't know who you are, and I really don't care. You've got secrets, I've got secrets, this kid's got secrets. Too bad for him that he's spilled some." He laughed again. "I'm going to assume you want him back, so you can meet me at the Orchard Hill Mall on Twenty-Seventh. I'll be waiting there."

The static clicked off and I balled my hands into fists. You wanna meet me, fine. I'm on my way.

***

I looked down through the skylight and saw the Joker sitting on a bench in the center lounge area of the mall. I didn't see Seeker, or any of the Joker's men, but I knew they were there somewhere. I opened the skylight and used my grapple line to land on the ground in front of the Joker, who simply clapped his hands. I stood and gathered my cape around me.

The Joker almost bounced to his feet. "It's so nice to finally meet you! I do wish you'd gone all the way, though, picked up a cowl with the pointy ears and everything." I didn't say anything in response. "The silent treatment, I can handle that. Tell me, what's little Francis Holden to you, anyway? He your little sidekick, a little Boy-Wonder-in-training?" He laughed. "Oh, hohoho! This is fun!"

***

Tim followed Detective Holden into the mall and saw him, just like Larry's tip-off suggested. The Joker was there, talking to Knight. Batman and the Joker, just like comics. Great.

Detective Holden turned to Tim and handed him a gun. "Take this, you just have to have it, you don't have to use it."

"Then why do I need it?"

"Pretend to be a cop. Maybe if this guy thinks there's a super hero and two cops here, he'll come in quietly."

"You think he's gonna come in?"

She put a hand on his shoulder. "Look, I saw what this guy did to your girlfriend, so no, I don't think he will, but it's still my job to try. If he resists, I'll shoot him."

He nodded.

***

"Where's the kid?" I asked.

"Oh, he's here. He's where I left him. Maybe, you'll even see him."

I stepped closer to the Joker. "I asked where he is."

He laughed in my face. "Don't you worry. When we're done with our little talk, I have my people bring him out here."

"There's over a thousand people in this mall, and knowing what you've probably done to him, I don't think I want you bringing him out here in public."

Another laugh, this one louder. "Oh, please, that's half the fun. If I didn't tear this kid up, people wouldn't know the truth about you super folks."

"And what's that?"

He reached into a pocket and pulled out a radio. "Bring him here." He turned back to me. "That you're nothing special. If it weren't for crazies like me, you wouldn't have shit to do."

***

Tim watched as a group of thugs walked out from somewhere, One of them was carrying a chair, two of them were carrying a person with a black bag covering their head. Tim saw the logo on the person's chest and nearly lost his breath.

Seeker.

Tim heard Detective Holden whisper, "That sonuvabitch!"

The one thug set the chair down, the other two set Seeker in the chair. The Joker walked over to him and put his hand on the bag. "Tell me, what do you think when," he turned and shouted, "all these people!" then turned back to Knight, "see what it is I'm about to show you?" Several people who had been ignoring the situation in the center of the mall now directed their attention toward the three of them. "They're gonna call me a freak, right? Of course they are. They'd be right, of course!"

***

I wanted to shoot him in the chest with my grapple gun right now. It was the closest thing to an offensive weapon I had. I could see that the kid was breathing, but barely.

"That's right, folks! All you decent people! Take a look, at this!" The Joker removed the bag over Seeker's head and revealed his scarred, bruised and bloody face. Sections of his hair had been ripped from his scalp, one eye so rolled back, the other barely focusing on anything. "Ta-da! His name's Seeker, everybody! Well, actually, his real name's Frank!" He started laughing. Suddenly, there was a knife in his hand. "He's just not doing so well!"

***

Tim looked to the balcony overlooking the lounge and saw a news crew. This is so obviously going on live. He looked back toward the action in the center. This guy's got everybody watching this.

Then a disturbing thought filled his head. Charlie's watching this. He dropped the gun and sprinted toward the exit.

***

I took a step toward Seeker, but stopped when the Joker put his knife to the kid's throat. I got a better look at the kid, seeing that the Joker had already decorated his face with his distinctive Glasgow Smile. The kid had lived through that, that was good. Just hold on, Frank, hold on.

"So, tell me, Knight, do you wanna know how he got these scars? Do you wanna know what it was he told me as I was giving him these scars?" He grabbed what was left of Seeker's hair and lifted his head up. "I'll let him tell you."

I watched as Seeker's mouth tried to form words, he tried to speak. The only thing he managed to say was, "Kni - "

And then the Joker slit his throat wide open, his laughter was the last thing Francis Holden ever heard.

From somewhere behind me, someone shouted, "You sonuvabitch!" Bullets whizzed past me, in the Joker's direction, but the maniac had moved out of the way.

***

Melissa heard Charlie screaming as soon as she stepped out of the elevator. She ran as fast as she could toward Charlie's room, where two nurses were trying to hold her down. Melissa looked at the TV screen in the corner and saw exactly why Charlie was screaming.

The Joker, standing next to Frank Holden's lifeless body.

***

The firefight began, the Joker's thugs on one side and that unknown shooter on the other. I ignored it and chased after the maniac himself. People ran, people screamed, people tried to help.

It was pure chaos. And the Joker was laughing the whole time.

I attempted to tackle him, but a bullet caught me in the leg, knocking me down. I saw that the Joker had stopped, the barrel of his handgun was smoking. He'd shot me. "Boy oh boy, that caught you off guard, didn't it?" he said. He walked over to me. "I'm not talking about the bullet."

"I'm gonna catch you, I'm gonna tear you apart."

The Joker didn't say anything. He simple started to walk away from me. Just a few steps away, he stopped, turned slightly toward me, and held up a portable detonator. He thumbed the button, turned back away from me, and walked into the ensuing explosions, laughing as loudly as he could. The building around us crumbled down, windows blew out, walls fell.

People died.

The Joker's own men were caught in the blast, that unknown shooter probably was, too. I managed to make it to my feet and tried to make it to the closest exit before that became a death trap.

And the whole time, I heard the Joker laughing.

***

I watched as the rubble was cleared from the site. Nine hundred sixty-three people, including the Joker's thugs. Guardian was helping. I was sitting off to the side, nursing my wound. Firemen, police, paramedics, volunteer citizens, all of them helping to dig out the dead bodies of people who's only reason for dying was because they wanted to spend time with friends and family.

All because of him. That laughing bastard.

Guardian landed beside me, a solemn look on his face. "No body, William."

"You won't find one. He made it out, obviously."

"What about you?"

"What about me?"

"I'm sorry about the kid." I stood up and pushed my way past him. "You need to rest."

I spun around and glared at him. "The hell I do. I need to find this bastard and break him in two."

"William, please, for your own safety, let the rest of us handle this. Aaron can look through his black holes, and Annette's found a way to pick out surface thoughts using her nightmare technique."

I grabbed him by the collar. "I don't care. I'm finding this guy. Alone."

He sighed. "What about Harkins?"

"What about her?"

"She and the kid were friends. They used to be partners."

"I don't know. Maybe you should tell her."

He shook his head. "I won't do that, William. Unless you talk to her, you'll never be able to forgive yourself for this," he waved his hand toward the ruins of the mall. Some of the fires weren't even out yet.

I turned away from him. "I don't have any reason to forgive myself."

***

Guardian finished helping the rescue personnel and flew up into the air. He sighed. Why can't you just accept that you didn't get him killed, William? He simply hovered there, letting the wind hit him softly. He'd been just as horrified as anyone else when he saw the footage on the news. He should have just flown off right then and there, but he still had his own secret identity to keep, and flying away in the middle of the Brigade's news room would have raised quite a bit of suspicion, and they didn't need to know that another super hero worked in their building.

He heard the gentle flap of wings and turned his head. Angel was now hovering beside him, a concerned look on her face. He looked at the dress she wore, a marked difference from the simple slacks and halter top she used to wear. "You changed your clothes," he said.

She smiled. "I felt it was time. Had to make an impression on a new Chosen in Pine Ridge, after all. I can't stay long, either. I'm off to Glassview City soon. It's a long flight there."

He nodded. "You see the news? The Joker?"

"You mean about Charlotte? Yes, I know about that."

He shook his head. "Not her. Seeker."

Her eyes widened in horror. "What?"

"The Joker took him and wiped him out, cut him up so badly that his own mother wouldn't recognize him, then slit his throat in the middle of a very populated mall. Then he blew up the mall with most of the people still inside, including his own men."

Her eyes widened further. "That's... No, that's impossible."

He flew over to her and put his hands on her shoulders. "I'm sorry, but it happened. I saw the body. I saw it happen on the news."

"No, Guardian, you don't understand. The future I saw, the best future I saw, ended with Seeker killing the Joker with his bare hands, and everything that happened should have led to that future. All the futures where Seeker died lead to..."

He narrowed his eyes. "Lead to what?"

She pushed away from him. "I'm sorry, Guardian, I have to leave, right now. Glassview's a long way away." She spun around and flew as fast as she could, breaking the sound barrier. He just stared after her, worried about whatever it was she was talking about.

***

Melissa sat with her daughter and watched her sleep. It had taken several animal tranquilizers to put her under, and Melissa didn't like to see Charlie that way. She didn't like seeing her daughter hurt, physically or emotionally. She reached out and grabbed Charlie's hand and squeezed, letting her know that her mother was there for her.

"Mom?" Charlie asked, just barely opening her eyes. "What're you doing here?" She looked around a moment. "Where's Timmy?"

Melissa touched her daughter's face. "The security people outside the door said he left with a cop last night."

She sat up. "He's not in trouble, is he?"

Melissa shook her head. "I doubt it. The boy's harmless."

Charlie sighed out a laugh. "Everybody says that. I'm sure he'll prove himself when the time comes."

"He's your boyfriend, you're supposed to say that."

Footsteps came squealing to a stop outside the room, and Melissa heard Tim talking to the security people in the hallway. A moment later, he stepped into the room and the look of concern on his face changed to one of relief. "Oh, thank God! Charlie, I'm so sorry that I left you, but Frank's cousin, uh, Cheryl, came and made me help her find the Joker."

"And did you?" Charlie asked. "Before the maniac slaughtered Frank on live TV?"

Tim's eyes widened. "He... He killed him?"

"And he blew up a mall, yeah."

"Okay, that I heard, but I was hoping that Knight would save Frank before - "

"The news is saying that Knight's dead. Nobody knows if he made it out of the mall before it blew up." She started to tear up. "Why do I get the feeling this is all my fault."

Melissa grabbed her daughter's hand. "Don't you say that!"

The television interrupted them. "Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen." Melissa looked up at the TV and saw that Mr. Kennedy from HealAll standing in front of a podium. "We are all aware of the tragic and brutal murder of Francis Holden, known to the public as Seeker, by the mass murderer who calls himself the Joker."

"How'd he know Frank's name?" Charlie asked. "The Joker didn't say his whole name, how'd he know?"

Mr. Kennedy continued: "As I stated yesterday, HealAll is working with the federal and state government to assist people with these powers to learn how to use them safely. We already have several such people working with us, in this regard. In some cases, these miraculous people want to help the public, following the lead of both Charlotte and Francis, who were amongst the first super heroes to be seen. Our program, which we are calling The Chosen, is meant to help these heroes, teaching them tactics, police skills, self-defense and much, much more. Frankly, I and many others believe this type of support has taken far too long to set up and enact, but we are acting now."

Charlie said, "Much as that would have helped me when I landed in here, I would have rather stayed anonymous."

Mr. Kennedy: "The event earlier today was a tragedy. We lost a young man who was actively trying to make the world a better, safer place. A shopping mall full of people going about their lives peacefully and safely, was destroyed, leaving potentially dozens of people dead, and over a hundred injured. We saw the Knight injured, and possibly killed, valiantly trying to prevent this tragedy. But, what if the Knight had had police support? Quite likely, things might have turned out far differently. If the government and the people of America had actively supported Seeker and those like him, he would most likely be alive today. We have lost f- one hero this week, cut down before he'd even reached the prime of his life, another hero is still recovering from her horrific injuries. How many more young people need to die before we offer them the support they need?"

Melissa scoffed. "There's plenty of police support for the Chosen."

Tim spoke up, "He started to say something, then corrected himself to say one hero was lost."

"So what?"

He looked over at Melissa. "How many really died?"

Mr. Kennedy: "Next Thursday, in the city of Pine Ridge, we will introduce the first super hero fully supported by the American government and industry. This young man is being trained even as we speak, to work alongside the police to deal with crimes and situations where a regular human cannot do so safely. It is our hope that he will only be the first in a long line of heroes acting as a role model for what can be accomplished when we work together for the safety and betterment of America. Thank you." The man then walked away from the podium, amidst dozens of questions that went unanswered.

Melissa grabbed the remote and muted the TV. "A government sanctioned Chosen? I don't like that idea." She looked over at her daughter and saw that Charlie was pulling off the handcuffs that were keeping her confined to the bed. "What the hell are you doing?"

"I'm thinkin' I need to talk to some people," Charlie said, a determination in her voice that Melissa hadn't heard since the girl's father was alive.

***

I kicked the training dummy and took its head off. I was angry, and it showed. That was the seventeenth dummy I'd decapitated since I got back to my house. I still felt like shit for letting a kid die, for letting a shopping mall fully of people explode.

For letting the Joker get away.

I set up another dummy and got back to training. Every punch I landed was another reminder of the people I'd failed. Every kick, another memory of watching them burn. Every time I made contact with that dummy, I felt the pain, felt the anger.

The weakness.

Another spin-kick and the eighteenth dummy was headless. I felt a stinging at my lungs. I was tired, breathing heavily, about to collapse. I unwrapped the bandages from my hands and saw that despite my best efforts, my hands were covered in cuts and bruises. As I looked down at my hands, I remembered how the Joker had left Seeker, and I felt the anger swelling again. I kicked the dummy again, knocking it into the case that held my costume when I wasn't wearing it.

I looked at the broken glass, at the damaged mannequin that my costume rested on. My breathing slowed, everything slowed. I turned away from it. I couldn't look at it. I'd failed it. I'd failed Harkins, I'd failed those people in the mall. I'd failed Seeker.

And I was sure the Joker was laughing at me.

***

The Joker stood in his funhouse, smiling at the bloodstains that remained on the floor. Every one of them told a story, a story about the poor sap who'd died there, or been beaten. He remembered each and every one of them. He knelt down and swept his fingers along the floor, specifically for the ones that had been left there most recently. He smiled again.

"Yeah, boss?" whichever goon he'd called in asked.

"Is the tape in yet?"

He wasn't looking, but he knew the goon was nodding. "Yeah, boss. Dropped it off myself."

The Joker stood. "Good." He walked up to the goon and saw the sweat streaking down his face and smiled yet again. He reached into his pocket and retrieved one of his knives. He gripped the goon's face and held his mouth open with one hand while he shoved the knife down the goon's mouth with the other hand. The goon fell to his knees, gurgling blood, and the Joker did what he did best. Well, second best.

He laughed.

***

I walked into my office from my secret entrance and saw that the room wasn't as empty as I wanted it to be. I envied her her strength, to be out of the hospital so soon after such a traumatic event, and on the same day that one of her friends was killed.

Arachnya was in costume, surprisingly. She was sitting behind my desk, drinking from a champagne glass. She pulled the mouth portion of her mask back down when I entered the room. I took off my dinner jacket and tossed it on the arm of the chair. "You're not old enough to drink that."

"I spent three weeks as an Olympic Wino a month or so ago."

"What can I do for you, Ms. Harkins?"

She pulled her mask off and let her hair hang free of the ponytail it had been in. "He wouldn't have hated you."

I had to give this girl a lot more credit than I used to think she deserved. "I don't know what it is you're talking about."

She took another drink. "Please, Mr. Brand, before I became the living personification of a female Spider-Man, I read comic books every week, and I dragged my dad to plenty of super hero movies. I saved my allowance up just to spend money on that Avengers briefcase with all the Blu-rays in it. Your initials are even Bruce Wayne's backwards. You couldn't be more obvious to a super nerd like me."

I poured myself some of the brandy that she'd been drinking. "Okay, so I'm obvious." I took a far longer drink than I should have. "I let him die. That's on me."

She walked around to the front of my desk and sat down on top of it. "Frank made his name as Seeker because a guy attacked us at school. We'd kinda been involved in stopping a bank robbery the day before, but it wasn't until school that he finally found his calling. A day later, a robot showed up and nearly killed him. I went crazy, I chased down the robot and I tore it apart."

"I read all about that in the newspapers."

"Frank died today, and I feel exactly the same now as I did then. I don't even care about what he did to me the other day, I just want to tear the Joker apart because of what he did to Frank. But I'm not going to."

I sat down on the chair in front of her. "Why not. You have every reason to, and everyone would be on your side."

She shrugged. "It's not gonna give me Frank back. I want it to so bad, but it won't. I want him to pay, but killing him won't do that. It'd just give him what he wants."

I let out a small laugh. "I remember this speech." I stood and patted her on the shoulder. "Frank Holden gave it to me, eight hours before he died. He wanted to tear the Joker apart because of what happened to you, but he knew it wouldn't help."

The girl stood up. "You're feeling down because you feel like you let Frank die, but you didn't. You did everything you could. Somethings are just written in stone, no matter how much we don't want them to be. It wasn't your fault at all. The only way either one of us can feel peace, the only way Frank can be at peace, is if the Joker is put where he belongs, in jail for his crimes."

I felt tears in my eyes and smiled. "When did kids like you get to be the ones to tell an adult like me how these things work?"

She smiled back. "I took up a life of crime fighting and I lost my dad. I stopped being a kid awhile ago."

***

Tim was pacing the floor when Charlie landed on the side of the building. He quickly ran to the window and opened it, letting her in. "Where the hell did you go?"

She took off her mask. He saw something that he didn't think he'd see for a very long time, a smile. "For a drink. With Knight."

"He's alive?"

She flicked him on the forehead. "Duh! We costumes are tough. Just look at Frank. He took a lot more than I did, and he was still kicking before that psychopath slit his throat." She smirked. "I can only hope I'm half as tough as him when my day comes."

Tim put his hands around her waist. "I only hope that day is a long time away. I'm just bein' selfish here."

They were distracted from their intimate moment by the sound of laughter. They both turned toward the TV and saw footage of Seeker. A time stamp in the corner showed that the footage came from much earlier that morning. "Hello, citizens of Larsen City! We're recording this, because by the time you see it," the Joker walked in front of the camera and knelt down by Seeker, putting his arm around the hero's shoulders, "Frank here will be extremely dead. I wanted you to see his final moments of consciousness." He moved back behind the camera. "What's your name, Frank?"

Seeker stuttered out, "Frrrr... Frrrr... Frank..."

"That's right, it's Frank. And what's your other name?"

"See... Seeee... Seeke..."

"He's a little out of it at the moment, so I'll finish it for him, it's Seeker. And why are you here?"

"To kic... To kick... To..."

"I'll answer that one, you're here because I caught you." The Joker moved back in front of the camera and jammed a knife into Seeker's gut. The image was suddenly cut off, and a newscaster came on with an apology.

"God..." Charlie said. He felt her shaking in his arms. "I hope Knight can get this guy."

He turned to her. "Wait, you're not going after him?"

She shook her head. "No. Knight needs this. He feels so bad about Frank's death, about the mall... He needs to get the Joker more than I do, and I'm going to let him."

***

I paused the video when it passed a certain point and saw exactly what it was the Joker wanted me to see.

"7:00pm, St. Joshua's Cathedral"

He was leaving me a message, obviously. I walked over to the damaged case that held my costume and reached in to get it. I was going to bring him in. Seeker deserved that.

***

I stood in front of the cathedral and waited. I made sure my costume was on properly for probably the seventeenth time. I checked my equipment again, making damn sure I was prepared for anything the Joker could throw at me.

I was nervous. I could feel it. It was a state that I was uncomfortable with, and I was already uncomfortable knowing exactly why I was here. I felt the sweat collect on my face and wiped it away. This was already turning out in his favor, and I didn't like that.

"You came," he said, catching my attention. I looked in the direction of the cathedral doors and saw him, standing there. "I'm so thrilled." He walked down the steps toward me. "I knew that if anybody could figure it out, it'd be you. You're living up to your influence, my friend!"

I collected my cape around me. "You're not hurting anyone else."

He threw back his head and laughed. That goddamn laugh. "That's where you're very wr - "

I didn't let him finish. I ran right at him and knocked him to the ground. He kicked at my shin, knocking me to my knees, and got right back up. He pulled out something small, flicked a switch, and revealed a small baton. He smacked me across the face with it, but I countered with a punch to the gut. He did the same to me, got back up and leaped onto me, pummeling me in the face.

I managed to push him off of me for a moment, but he ran at me once more, shoving his knees one after the other into my stomach, once in the groin. I landed a right cross on him, knocking out two of his teeth. To prove what I'd done, he gave me a toothy grin, exposing the two gaps. I just punched him again. He gave me a spin-kick, much like the ones I'd used to destroy my training dummies, and then ran back up the steps.

"C'mon, Knight!" He let out another laugh. "Step into the church!"

***

Tim sat in the same room a press conference had been called in the day before. Reporters from every network and paper across the east coast tried to pile into the room. He looked at all the people trying to find seats and saw the only one he needed to see. "Ms. Adamsen!" he called out to his colleague. She turned her head, saw him, and started pushing her way toward him. "Saved you a seat."

"Thanks, kid. So, where's your girlfriend?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. She just told me to be in here before everybody else got here. I've been waiting for about an hour now."

She patted him on the shoulder. "How's she doing?"

"Better. She snuck out to go talk to Knight earlier."

"He's alive?"

"My reaction, too."

"And Charlie knows who he is?"

"She seemed to. And, I guess it worked, since she said she actually talked to him."

"So, what's this all about?"

He shrugged again. "I dunno. I guess we just have to wait for Charlie."

As if on cue, the young woman's voice called the attention of everyone in the room. "Hi, everybody," she said. Everyone looked toward the front of the room, at the podium, but there was no one there. "Up here, guys." Everyone looked up. Figures she'd have to do it like this. Charlie was in costume, crawling along the ceiling. "I knew that would get your attention." She used her webbing to slowly descend to the podium. "Hi, again." She took off her mask. "As you guys all know, I'm Arachnya, Charlotte Elaine Harkins. You all found that out earlier this week when I PTSD'd all over Officer Forest. I'm sorry about that, by the way."

***

I followed the Joker into the church, finding it to be full of people, all held at gunpoint by several of the criminal's thugs. My hands clenched into fists.

The Joker stood at the podium, flipping through a Bible. "'Thou shalt not...' Y'know, I don't know what this one says!" He laughed, then tossed the book at the wall behind him. He knocked the podium over and stepped forward. "We've been here before, you and I. Me, with dozens of people held hostage, and you, helpless to do anything!" He laughed again. "But I bet you have a plan this time, don't you?"

I didn't answer his question. I ran, jamming my elbow into his chest. He fell against the bank of candles behind him, but, sadly, it didn't do any real damage to him. The church was a different matter, however, as things started to catch fire all over the room as candles either flew off the table or rolled down the two steps leading to the pews.

I watched as the pews started to burn, and the people didn't move. I realized why after a second, they couldn't. They were all chained to the pews, and they'd die chained to the pews. Even the Joker's own men were incapable of moving. Their guns must have been empty, because none of them even tried to shoot their manic boss.

I turned back toward the Joker and saw him running up the stairs off to the side. I followed him, into the steeple.

***

Charlie continued, "As everybody probably knows after I told my story to the Daily News Brigade yesterday, my dad was East City Police Captain Henry Harkins, and he was my hero. Everything I ever did after I became a super hero was to honor my dad, and everything I did after his death was to honor his memory. I ran into a few bumps here and there, but I hope I've done a good enough job. I've only ever wanted to help."

***

The Joker's laughter echoed down the stairwell, but I kept chasing him. I came into the room just below the bell and left it to my senses to tell me where the maniac was, as the room was completely dark. My senses were up to the task, however, as I managed to block an uppercut, and then another swing from that baton. Smoke from downstairs was starting to fill the room, and I heard the Joker cough. I swung my fist right, hitting him in the chest.

"You're good," he said, still trying to laugh through the coughing. Thanks to the smoke, he managed to kick me in the face, knocking me flat on my back. I saw him open the hatch to the bell and crawl through it. I got back to my feet and followed him.

***

"Frank Holden was my friend. He went after the Joker after I got hurt, because he was my friend. He died because I was hurt. Almost a thousand people died because I was hurt. Knight almost gave up hope because I was hurt. Everything that's happened this week is because of what happened to me, and I take responsibility for that."

***

"On your left!" the Joker shouted, swinging from the rope used to toll the bell. I just managed to duck out of the way, but the sound of the loud bell right next to my head disoriented me. The Joker landed beside me and kicked me in the chest as I laid on the ground, a splitting headache keeping me down. On the fourth kick, I grabbed his foot and made him fall beside me. I rolled on top of him and landed three punches on him before he kicked me off, into the railing that kept me from falling to my death.

***

"It's because Frank died that I asked you all here. I don't want to dishonor his memory anymore than I've ever wanted to dishonor my dad's. When Frank and I became living comic book characters, we swore to each other that we'd uphold the law, even if we weren't recognized by it."

***

I staggered to my feet, still disoriented from the bell. I saw three of the Joker, thanks to my headache. Felt like the worst hangover imaginable. I tried to throw a punch, but he grabbed my arm and threw me down to the floor again.

"Don'tcha get it, Knight? Don'tcha get why?"

I tried to get up, but he kicked me in the stomach. I managed to grunt out, "Enlighten me..."

He knelt down and whispered in my ear, "Because it's fun."

***

"A lot of you probably think that I should be out there hunting down the Joker for what he did to me, to Frank, to all those people at that mall, and that I should kill him for what he's done. I would love nothing more than to do that, but killing the Joker would dishonor Frank's memory, because of that silly pact he and I made."

***

"I don't think it's a secret that I get off on this, Knight," he said, picking me up and throwing me into the wall. "But I'm not the only one."

I coughed out blood. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"You heroes." He pulled a knife out. "You get just as much of a thrill out of taking on guys like me as I do taking out guys like you." He took a swipe at me, but I ducked just in time. "If there's no me, there'd be no you."

***

"Knight is out there, right now, fighting to bring the Joker to justice, so that he can pay for his crimes the right way."

***

My anger had reached the boiling point that I almost didn't think it'd hit, and my fury burned right through my disorientation. I grabbed the Joker by the collar, knocked his knife out of his hand and slammed his head down on the railing. I wanted to take a line of wire and strangle him. I picked him up and threw him into the wall, my fists each swinging into his face full force.

***

"The way we all honor the memory of those who died this morning is to make sure justice is sought the right way."

***

I was about to punch him again, but he managed to jam a knife into my stomach and push me off of him. That was when he revealed the detonator. "You didn't think I wouldn't bring fireworks to such an occasion, did you?" He thumbed the switch, and I didn't hear the explosion, I simply felt the steeple lurch, tilt. I saw the roof of the church turn orange, catch fire.

I didn't think, I simply reacted. I pulled out my grapple gun and shot a line out toward another building. I didn't even attempt to grab the Joker, I simply acted in self-preservation. The heat from the explosion was coupled with his laughter, which resonated long after I stopped hearing it.

***

Tim wasn't the only one to jump to his feet at the sound of the explosion. A cop in the corner grabbed his walkie talkie and listened in. After a moment, he relayed, "Explosion at St. Joshua's Cathedral, East Gallagher Street." Tim watched as most of the reporters in the room bolted out the door, likely to find out whether or not the situation had to do with the Joker.

Tim walked up onto the stage and put his arms around Charlie. "Frank would've been proud of that, babe."

"I hope so."

***

It had been just over twelve hours since the mall explosion, and here I was, watching the clean-up of yet another explosion caused by the Joker. Guardian was, again, helping with the clean-up. When all the bodies - or what was left of them - were recovered, he flew up to me and said, once again, "No body, William."

"I hope that doesn't surprise you," I said, through at least two broken ribs. My chest was killing me. "I don't know what the hell that guy's made of, but I expect to see him again."

He put his hand on my shoulder. "For your sake, I hope not."

I nodded. "Same here. But I know it'll happen. I can feel it."

He nodded, then flew off to keep helping with the clean-up. I held up the one memento of this whole ordeal that I had, the Joker card that had been left with Harkins. I tossed it into the dwindling fire. The burning card sounded like a laugh.