Arkham Asylum - Maximum Security Wing
The Joker sat in his cell, staring at the television mounted behind reinforced plexiglass.
He had been here for three years. He was bored. He had counted the cracks in the ceiling (412). He had annoyed the guards until they wore earplugs. He had even tried to psychoanalyze Dr. Crane, which just resulted in Crane screaming.
On the screen, the Gotham News Network was showing grainy footage from a helicopter.
It showed Batman and Robin fighting a gang in the shipyard.
But something was different.
Batman was doing his usual thing—punch, cape swish, brood. But the little red bird...
The Robin grabbed a thug by the hair and slammed his face into a brick wall. Hard. Then, when the thug was down, the Robin kicked him in the ribs. It was angry. It was vicious.
Joker stopped rocking back and forth. He leaned forward.
"Ooh," Joker whispered, a slow smile spreading across his pale face. "Who is that?"
He squinted. The moves were different. No flips. No somersaults. Just brawling.
"You traded in the acrobat for a street fighter, Batsy?" Joker giggled. "You got a new puppy! And this one... this one bites!"
Joker looked at the guard standing outside his cell.
"Officer! Officer!" Joker tapped on the glass.
The guard sighed. "Shut up, clown."
"I need to make a phone call!" Joker beamed. "I need to order a crowbar! It's for a... science project!"
The guard ignored him.
Joker sighed. He reached into his mouth and pulled out a small, thin piece of metal he had hidden under a false molar. A lockpick.
"Fine. I'll go get it myself."
Two Days Later - Gotham Rooftops
"He's out," Batman said, landing on the gargoyle next to Jason.
"Joker?" Jason asked. He was sharpening a batarang, sparks flying. "Good. I've been waiting for him."
"This isn't a game, Jason," Batman warned. "Joker is different. He doesn't fight you; he dismantles you. Mentally."
"I'm not Dick," Jason snapped. "I don't get scared of clowns."
"That's exactly what he wants. He wants you angry. We stick together. Do not engage him alone."
"Young Masters," my voice came over the comms. "I have a ping on the police band. A silent alarm at the Gotham Hall of Records. Specifically, the Birth and Death Registry."
"Why would Joker go there?" Jason frowned. "Stealing birth certificates?"
"Maybe he wants to change his birthday to April Fools'?" I suggested.
"Let's move," Batman ordered.
Gotham Hall of Records
We arrived to find the front doors blown open.
Inside, the clerks were tied up, gagged with smiley-face stickers. The file cabinets were overturned. Papers were everywhere.
"He was looking for something specific," Batman deduced, scanning the mess. "He ignored the valuables in the safe."
"Well, well, well!"
A spotlight clicked on from the second-floor balcony.
The Joker stood there. He was wearing a fresh purple suit, a flower in his lapel, and holding a thick file folder.
"The Dynamic Duo!" Joker cackled. "And the Butler! Hello, Jeeves! Still pressing the capes?"
"Hello, sir," I said dryly, standing in the shadows. "I see you have escaped again. The security at Arkham is truly abysmal."
"I missed the food!" Joker waved the file. "But look what I found! I was doing some genealogy! Did you know Batman has a new son? It's so sweet!"
Joker looked directly at Jason.
"You move heavy, kid," Joker sneered. "Like you got the weight of the world on your shoulders. Or maybe... the weight of a dead mommy?"
Jason froze. "Shut up."
"Oh, did I strike a nerve?" Joker hopped onto the railing. "I looked into your file, Jason Todd! Street rat. Father in jail. Mother... deceased. Willis and Catherine Todd. Tragic!"
Joker tossed the file into the air. Papers rained down like snow.
"But here's the punchline!" Joker laughed. "Catherine Todd... wasn't your real mommy!"
Jason's eyes widened behind his mask. "You're lying."
"Am I?" Joker pointed to a document fluttering down. "Read the birth certificate, kiddo! Catherine was the step-mom! Your real mom is named Sheila Haywood. And guess what? She's alive! She's working as an aid worker in Ethiopia!"
"JASON, WAIT!" Batman shouted.
But it was too late. The bait was taken.
Jason launched his grapple. He didn't aim for the ceiling. He aimed for the Joker.
"YOU LIAR!" Jason screamed, flying up to the balcony.
Joker didn't dodge. He let Jason tackle him.
Jason straddled the Joker, punching him in the face. Crack. Crack.
"Tell me the truth!" Jason roared.
Joker just laughed, spitting blood and teeth.
"It's all in the file, boy wonder! Ethiopia! Go ask her yourself! Hahaha!"
Joker pulled a pin on his lapel flower. Acid sprayed out.
Jason flinched, rolling away just in time. The acid hissed on the floor where his head had been.
Batman landed on the balcony, grabbing Jason and pulling him back.
"We're leaving!" Batman commanded.
"He knows about my mom!" Jason yelled, struggling.
"He's playing you!"
Joker stood up, wiping acid from his chin. He walked backward toward the exit.
"Tick tock, Jason!" Joker sang. "Mommy's waiting! Better hurry before something... unfortunate happens to her! I hear Ethiopia is lovely this time of year! Very... explosive!"
Joker threw a smoke bomb and vanished into the night.
The Batcave - One Hour Later
The analysis was complete.
"The documents are genuine," I said, holding the birth certificate under the magnifying lamp. "Catherine Todd was indeed your stepmother. Sheila Haywood is your biological mother. She lives in the Magdala Valley, Ethiopia."
Jason stood by the Batcomputer. He wasn't angry anymore. He was shaking.
"She's alive," Jason whispered. "She gave me up... but she's alive."
"It's a trap," Batman said. He was reviewing satellite footage of Ethiopia. "Joker didn't just stumble onto this. He dug it up. He wants you to go there."
"I have to know, Bruce," Jason turned to him. "If there's a chance... I have to ask her why."
"We go together," Batman said. "We prepare. We take the Jet."
"No," Jason said. "If Joker sees the Batplane, he'll kill her. He wants me."
"Jason..."
"I'm going, Bruce. With or without you."
Jason walked to the lockers. He started packing a bag. Not his Robin suit. His civilian clothes. And a passport.
Bruce looked at me.
"Stop him, Sebastian."
I looked at the boy. I saw the desperation. The need for a family that wasn't built on violence.
"I cannot, sir," I said softly. "A boy looking for his mother... that is a primal force. Even a demon cannot stand in the way of that."
I walked over to Jason.
"Master Jason."
Jason tensed, expecting me to flip him again.
Instead, I reached into my coat. I pulled out a small, silver object. It was a transponder.
"Take this," I whispered. "Keep it in your boot. If you get into trouble... press it. I will come. No matter where you are."
Jason took the device. He looked at me, surprised.
"Thanks, Sebastian."
"Do not thank me. Just... come back. The house is too quiet without your terrible music."
Jason nodded. He grabbed his bag and walked to his motorcycle.
Batman stood by the computer, watching him go. He didn't try to physically stop him. He knew he would just lose him forever if he did.
"He's walking into a slaughterhouse," Bruce said.
"Then we must be the butchers that follow," I said, my eyes narrowing. "Prepare the Jet, Sir. We will give him a twelve-hour head start.
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