The Killing Joke

Bruce made his way back to the Batmobile, which only took him a moment or so, all the while thinking about everything Commissioner Gordon had just told him. There was a possibility that it could have been Two-Face behind the robberies. Harvey Dent’s crimes were associated with the number two. Happening on the second or twenty-second day of the month, two murders instead of one, or $222,222.22 being stolen from a bank. He also used his marked coin a lot. Batman had saved many a victims from Two-Face’s villainous wrath.

All the pieces fit, except for just one. Two hundred-thousand dollars were stolen from two banks… Two school buses helped transport the money and remaining heisters from each bank as well… the date was what made Batman suspicious. December 31st. Now, either Harvey was trying something different, or it wasn’t Harvey at all. And, Bruce thought, Dent usually publicized his crimes big time. Whereas this time, there had been nothing. No indication to the public that this money was being stolen. Bruce found that odd as well.

By this time Batman was already in the car, driving off into the night. There weren’t many banks in Gotham. Four, to be exact. They were all placed at even intervals, too. One on the far side, right on the edge of the city. Another a good dozen or so streets away. Another the same distance from that one. And, finally, the fourth on the opposite edge of the city. Gordon had said that the two banks that were hit had been on opposite sides of town. That saved Bruce the trouble of having to check out all four. But he didn’t know what one to go to first. But did it really matter? He didn’t think the police officers were still there, and if they were they’d be dead. Batman did not believe that anyone was at the bank. Whoever was part of the heist had left on the buses that took the money wherever. But still, he would check both, just to make sure that he wasn’t missing any clues that might have been left behind.

Bruce decided on going to the closest bank first. It only took him a few moments to get there. He got out of the Batmobile, leaving it in an alley way, out of sight, before beginning to look for an entrance into the bank. It didn’t take him too long to find one. After maneuvering his way around the four cop cars, Bruce was face to face with the side of the building. Or, at least what used to be. Apparently the men hadn’t carried out each bag of money and placed it carefully into the idling school bus outside the front door. No, the complete opposite had happened, actually. There was a giant hole in the building, obviously where the buses had backed into the building to pick up the men and money, and where they had pulled out to get away.

Batman stepped into the bank, keeping his feet quiet as his eyes swept around the place. Obviously the bank needed new security methods. Bruce Wayne would make that his next project. After walking around the perimeter of the lobby, Batman was just about to go back into the vault for further inspection when he heard light footsteps. “Harvey.” He said quietly to himself, but it had echoed afterwards and he was sure Harvey would have heard it. Batman turned around, moving his cape around with him as the footsteps came closer. “It must be killing you,” Batman began again, taking a few steps towards the lobby, moving him closer to the other man. “Performing a crime on December 31st and not January 2nd or something like that. I must say, I’m a little surprised. Maybe your obsession with two is going away finally.”

“Don’t get your hopes up, Bats.” Finally, a reply. And it was indeed Dent’s voice who had spoken the words, followed by a sick sounding chuckle. And, finally, he stepped into the dim light and Batman was able to see him.

“Who said I was? I just said I was surprised.” Batman replied, carefully looking Two-Face over, reading his body language. It really did look like it was killing him, performing this robbery on the 31st day of a month. His usual perfect posture was replaced by a slight, depressed hunch. His chuckle wasn’t as cheery as it usually was right after he got what he wanted, either. Even his voice wasn’t right. So then why was Two-Face doing this if he didn’t want to?

“Go ahead, Batman, take a swing.” Two-Face outstretched his arms in an inviting manner. Bruce took a step closer, raising his fists a bit just in case Harvey tried anything. “I won’t even try to fight back, scout’s honor.”

“Why?”

“What do you mean, ‘why’? What’s wrong with you? I’m giving you a free change to beat me to a pulp and send me back to Arkham and you’re not taking it.” Dent couldn’t help but shake his head and le tout a little pity laugh.

“Because I know something isn’t right. Because I know for some reason you didn’t set this up. You’re working for someone. And I want to know who and why,” Batman replied, moving closer to Dent with every word until he was right up in that deformed face of his. By the end of the response his hands were on Harvey’s suit jacket, lifting him off of the ground.

Harvey laughed again, this time it came out a little more nervous than before, seeing as the chance of getting beat up by this giant of a man was drastically increasing with every passing moment. “You’re pretty good, I’ll admit that, you’re pretty good.”

“Stop stalling,” Batman growled, pushing the man up onto the wall only a few feet behind him.

Two-Face let out a grunt, and raised his slightly shaking hand to wipe Batman’s spit, and his own sweat, off his face. “You’re going to deny a man his last wish?” Harvey let out another laugh.

“What are you talking about? Tell me what you know!” Bruce shouted, glaring at Harvey. What was that supposed to mean? His last wish… Batman didn’t know how to interpret that at all. Was it a joke? Was Dent being serious?

“I can’t say much,” Harvey sighed heavily, defeated. “Just that this was a trick. A joke. A distraction. Something for you to take care of while the real crime was happening…” Dent laughed again, a little more animated now.

“What other crime? Who put you up to this?” Batman repeated. But before Harvey Dent could get another word out of his mouth, he started laughing manically, violently. He attempted to double over in laughter, but did not succeed because Batman was still holding him up against the wall. Bruce blinked, not understanding the man’s behavior. And as he tried to analyze the laugh, knowing he had heard it somewhere before, he dropped Harvey who instantly fell right to the floor and began convulsing, laughing all the while. “The Joker,” Batman whispered, watching Harvey and beginning to back away towards the way he had entered the building.

It was the Joker’s signature laugh that was escaping Harvey’s mouth. And that sociopath’s signature smile that had stuck itself permanently on the former district attorney’s face. The Joker was behind it all. But what was he behind exactly? What was he planning? Where? These questions, and many more, ran through Batman’s head as he made his way back to the Batmobile.

Instead of driving off right away, he radioed Alfred. “Yes, sir?”

“It’s the Joker. That’s all Dent could tell me. Call everyone and tell them to suit up and start searching around Gotham. We need to find him as soon as possible. I don’t know what exactly he’s planning, but I have a feeling it’s big if he had to employ Dent to come up with a distraction for me. Once we locate him, everyone can go home, I’ll handle the Joker myself. I feel bad enough for calling them away from their plans on New Year’s Eve, I don’t want to keep them out all night.” Bruce replied, before adding. “That’s all, thank you, Alfred.”

“I’ll get right on it, sir.”