Divination (Joker x Batman x OC)

Chapter 85

The Batman stood over the woman he had just shot, in the same ski mask he had seen her in before. He remembered her. She had once kicked him down an elevator shaft. She worked for the Joker. He wasn't expecting an extra person here. The first one of the Joker's men the Batman took out here at this abandoned metal factory, under the threat of death, told the Batman that there were six men in total hired to secure the place. The Batman had taken out five..the sixth one guarding the room with the explosives was found unconscious and on the ground. The only person who could be here was the Joker or the child, or so the Batman thought. He had fired at the sign of movement, had seen an adult's height in dark clothing, and it ended up being the red-haired woman.

The girl was missing, and the bomb had been disengaged.

He had the gun, designed to fire the needles with the Joker's laughing poison. Programmed to automatically empty the syringe into the victim. He fired it as soon as he saw the figure come into view. 

The Joker came into the room, seemingly caught off guard at what he was seeing. 

"Drop your weapon!" the Batman ordered the Joker who seemed distracted immediately. He was staring at the woman convulsing on the floor. "Now!"

The Batman watched the gun slip from the Joker's fingers. The sound of the gun hitting the floor resounded before the Joker spoke. 

"What have you done?" the Joker asked the Batman.

"On your knees!" the Batman ordered, aiming the next needle at the Joker. "Hands out!"

"You poisoned her," the Joker said and kneeled, holding his hands up with his palms forward.

The Batman was surprised at how cooperate the Joker was being. He must have had something up his sleeve.

"That dose was meant for you," the Batman said. "But fortunately, there are two more shots here."

The Batman looked at the Joker, waiting for the word play..the mind games. But the Joker wasn't looking at him at all, and didn't seem to be concerned with the deadly weapon aimed straight at him. He gaze was fixed on the woman, who's breathing was turning into wheezing.

"Well? What are you waiting for?" the Joker asked solemnly.

The Batman glared at him.  Sirens could be heard in the distance. The Batman took a deep breath before speaking.

"Where is the girl?" he asked the Joker. "Where is the child?"

"She got away," the Joker answered.

The Batman did not believe him. The situation had become messy. The Batman never wanted to kill anyone, but this had been an accident and this woman had been a part of the abduction of an innocent child. The Joker was present and could become a violent aggressor at any second. There was nothing the Batman could do for the woman, he accepted it immediately.

"She escaped," the Joker said absently, still looking at the woman on the floor who had stopped moving.

The Batman tossed a pair of handcuffs to the Joker. "Cuff yourself to the pole there."

"Do something," the Joker said while staring at her, his voice different than the Batman had ever heard it. He was pleading.

"Cuff yourself. Or the police find you laughing yourself to death in the next few minutes," the Batman said.

The Joker could see that the Batman was primarily concerned with securing him before doing anything else. He grabbed the cuff and slapped it onto his wrist and then to the pole.

"I did what you asked," the Joker said as the Batman pulled at the chain on the cuff to make sure it was secure. "Now help her."

The Batman knew it was likely too late for the woman. It had not been his fault. He had not intentionally killed her. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time. The police would request an ambulance which would take her to the hospital, but it was likely she would not make it. There was nothing he could do for this criminal. The Batman turned to leave.