GOTHAM X Part Two

SOMEWHERE IN WASHINGTON D.C.
8:15 p.m.

A man sat behind a large desk in a darkened room. Feeble light came through the partially-curtained window from a streetlamp outside. The man lit a cigarette, the glare from his lighter illuminating his long, deeply-lined face. He exhaled smoke, watched it drift toward the ceiling.
There was a small cassette recorder on the desk in front of him.

He hesitated a moment, finger hovering above the record button. Finally, he pressed it and the reels on the tiny cassette began to turn.

"I am making this recording," the man said in a flat, even voice, "for my son. In the event of my death, I want him to know the truth.

"Some of it you have guessed. Some of it you have discovered on your own. Some has been given to you. But you do not have it all, and some of what you think you have is not truth. You have no reason to trust me, but I am telling you the truth now. All I can give you is my word, and I know you place little value on that. Nevertheless...

"I have been, for many years, involved in... work, the exact nature of which I am still reluctant to detail. Suffice it to say that I have been involved with a group of individuals who are pursuing a certain agenda. They believe that I, too, pursue that same agenda. In fact, I do not. These are extremely dangerous men. I do not fear them, as men, but I do fear the consequences of the things they are attempting to do." He sighed deeply, took another drag from his cigarette. Even now, he couldn't bring himself to be too specific. Secrecy and obfuscation had seeped into his soul to the point where he doubted he was constitutionally capable of real openness.

"Recent events have brought this... project to a crisis point. My 'superiors' in the group wish to introduce certain... unwelcome organisms into our environment. These organisms have recently become much more aggressive and difficult to contain. My colleagues feel that a compromise can be reached with them. This is a goal which must be defeated. By any means necessary.

"I have been conducting experiments of my own with these organisms. Thus far, I have found no way to check their growth and maturation process. We recently lost an important installation in the Antarctic in which experimentation was taking place. I don't have to detail the circumstances of that loss for you. Meanwhile, my 'colleagues' are proceeding with their plans to welcome these... things to our planet. In my view, this will mean the end of human life here. The others are convinced that by cooperating with these... things, they can at least save their own skins. They are fools.

"Last night, I visited, by clandestine means, a certain individual with whom I have had dealings in the past. This individual-- who is now known as the "Joker"-- is not what he seems to be.

"Fifteen years ago, I worked with this man on a project which was ancillary to, but separate from, the project I referred to earlier. This man was a biochemist, one of the most brilliant in his field. He was also the most ruthless, amoral son of a bitch I have ever met." The man allowed himself a thin, sour approximation of a smile. "And that's saying something. His real name is... Well, you probably wouldn't believe me if I told you. I'm stretching credibility enough as it is. Anyhow...

"He was recruited into our program from a university where he was teaching and conducting research. Certain scandals had begun to collect around him and he was on the verge of being let go. In fact, he was in serious danger of arrest. We offered him employment and he accepted. In retrospect, this was probably a mistake.

"He did nothing to compromise our research, but he used our time and equipment to pursue an agenda of his own. For reasons of his own, he radically altered his own body chemistry. He managed to slightly reconfigure his own DNA. His reasons for doing this are obscure. Shortly after he accomplished this... transformation, he disappeared. Nothing was heard from him for several months, until he emerged in Gotham City in his current persona and began his criminal activities.

"Since that time, I and certain of my associates have kept tabs on him. We have been able, from time to time, to persuade him to provide us with help in some of our activities. Usually as a consultant in scientific, particularly biochemical, matters.

"When he isn't on the loose, he spends his time at Arkham Asylum. The director of the Asylum is unaware that we have compromised his security setup. This situation has existed for several years. We have found Arkham Asylum to be a valuable source of new and exotic forms of weaponry. Not only the Joker, but also Jonathan Crane, Victor Fries, Pamela Isley and other inmates have provided us with many useful items. In return, we facilitate their periodic escapes.

This gives them the opportunity to develop and field test new weapons."

The man stubbed his cigarette out in an ashtray and immediately lit another.

"In my personal opinion," he continued, "the Joker is too dangerous and unpredictable. I would prefer that he be terminated, but there are others who disagree, for whatever reasons. I do not trust the man. I do not like him. However, in the current situation, I find myself forced to deal with him. To make a pact with the Devil, if you will. He is the only man available to me who might possess the skill and knowledge to develop a toxic agent capable of dealing with these... organisms.

"Early this morning, at his insistence, I visited him personally. We had already been in contact regarding this operation.

The Joker had been informed of the problem and provided with certain technical details. I had hoped that the operation could be carried out with no physical contact. However, the Joker delights in making people do what he wants them to do. He was adamant that I come to him personally to receive a list of substances which he would need. A few hours later, these substances, many of which are extremely scarce, dangerous and closely monitored, were stolen from a government facility three miles from where I sit. There was no way to obtain these specimens without drawing attention. Therefore, the decision was made to use so-called "Joker Venom" on the guards at the storage facility. In fact, the Joker himself insisted upon this. Which, I must admit, could work to our advantage. The trail will lead away from Washington and to Gotham City. Any repercussions can be laid at the feet of a...'lone nut.' The Joker's past history makes his apparent involvement in almost anything credible.

"Unfortunately, the rest of the operation cannot be carried out without the Joker's direct involvement. The substances have been taken to a location in Gotham and, as I speak, other arrangements are being made to continue the operation. Arrangements have been made to obtain a test subject."

The man glanced at his watch, holding his arm at an angle so the watch face caught some of the light from the street. He'd have to wrap this up. It would soon be time to leave.

"I hope," he said slowly, "that my decisions in this matter have been wise ones. There is a lot at stake here. More than you have even imagined or surmised. When you learn the full truth, as I am sure you someday will, I hope you can..." He stopped, drawing on his cigarette. What was he going to say next? "Forgive me?" That didn't seem likely... He shook his head, stopped the tape, wound it back a bit. He pressed play, found the spot he wanted, and pressed record. "I hope you will understand. I will leave this tape in a safe place with instructions that it be delivered to you if this operation... goes awry. In addition to the tape, you will be given a number of computer disks containing full details of the project."

He stopped the machine, stubbed out his cigarette, and popped out the cassette. He placed it in a small manila envelope and wrote a name across the front. Then he placed the envelope in his breast pocket and stood. He lit yet another cigarette, then prepared to exit the room.

It was time to go back to work. Back to Gotham.

Back to the Devil.



CHEZ MATTHESON RESTAURANT
9:03 p.m.


Scully hadn't brought along much in the way of clothes, so she was relieved to see that Wayne had dressed casually, in slacks, a dark turtleneck and blazer. She herself wore one of her customary businesslike pant suits. This was her first time to dinner with a billionaire; she had been a little concerned about protocol.

Wayne greeted her warmly. The headwaiter fawned over him and showed them to what he assured them was one of their best tables. The place was much fancier than what Scully was used to. It made her a little uncomfortable. Wayne, too, appeared to be ill at ease here. For a billionaire playboy, he seemed out of place in the haunts of the rich.

Once they were settled in, had placed their order, and were working on small salads, Wayne said, "I hope you're enjoying your visit to Gotham."

She looked at him. "I imagine you said that just to make conversation," she replied, humor in her voice. "I came here to investigate the Joker. For a clown, he isn't much fun."

Wayne returned her gaze. "No, he isn't. He's caused a lot of suffering in this city. Too much."

Wayne shook his head, took a sip of water. "As I said before, anything I can do to assist you, just ask."

"I appreciate that. And if anything comes up, I'll remember your offer. Right now, though, there isn't much to be done." Scully wished she could be more open with Wayne, confide in him as to the nature of her visit. She had a feeling he might understand. There weren't many people in
the world she could trust at this point, and she sensed that Wayne might just be one of them.
"I understand you're a doctor, Agent Scully?"

"That's right."

"I don't know of many physicians who go into the FBI. It's
rather unusual."

"Yes," Scully said. "My father said the same thing. In much stronger terms."

"So what motivated you? If you don't mind my asking."

Scully shrugged a little. "I'm not totally sure. It all has to do with making a difference. In the world, I mean. I've always wanted to do that. Make a difference, make things a little better."

"As a physician, I would think you'd have more than enough opportunities to do that."

"Yes, but..." She sighed. "I don't know, it's not the same thing. The kind of difference I want to make... Well, let me put it this way. A disease organism doesn't deliberately and with malice aforethought set out to infect and kill a human being. Correct?"

"Not that I'm aware of."

"I'm not saying that I think disease should be allowed to spread
unchecked just because it isn't aware of the suffering it causes, but...
I just realized that I'd rather spend my time trying to stop the deliberate predators. Human beings who know exactly what they're doing, how much pain and death they cause, and do it anyway. Does that make any sense to you?" She looked at him, her eyes wide.

Wayne nodded slowly. "Yes, Agent. It does... It makes a great deal of sense." He fell silent, glancing around the room. Looking anywhere but at Scully, in fact. She was an interesting woman. If circumstances were different, he might find himself very interested indeed. She made him feel uncomfortable, distracted. So he was staring out the window at the night sky when he saw the signal. A beam of yellow light projected against a low cloud, a dark bat-shaped silhouette in the center. Scully, her back to the window, couldn't see it. A couple of other diners glanced at it, one of them even pointed it out to his companion. But there was no commotion. It was a familiar sight to Gothamites.

He sighed. The bat, always the bat. Bruce Wayne could never enjoy a simple dinner with an attractive woman. Sometimes he doubted that there actually WAS a Bruce Wayne. It often seemed that he, too, had died in that alley all those years ago when his parents were murdered.
Self-pity faded as his instincts took over. He was about to make an excuse to Scully when he heard a muted chirping sound. "Oh, excuse me," she said, reaching into her purse for her cell phone. "Agent Scully here.... Yes, Commissioner... what? Yes, I can come over right away. I know where the building is... yes, thank you, I'll be there soon."

She looked up at Wayne, honest regret in her eyes. "I'm sorry, that was Commissioner Gordon. There has been a development in this thing. he'd like to see me in his office. Can I get a raincheck?"

"Of course, I understand. Duty always comes first, right?" It always had and it always would. And there was no room for regret.

"I'm afraid so. Maybe I'll see you later." She closed the phone and stuck it back in her purse as the stood up. Wayne reached into his jacket pocket and gingerly grasped one of his 'ladybugs.'

"I hope so," said Wayne. Scully thought his voice sounded strange. A little deeper, a little colder. He shook her hand and touched her on the elbow, sticking the little tracer onto the fabric of her jacket, and they left the restaurant. Scully headed toward the bank of elevators. She glanced behind her, thinking that Wayne might accompany her to the parking garage.

But he was gone.



GOTHAM POLICE HEADQUARTERS
COMMISSIONER JAMES GORDON'S OFFICE 9:59 p.m.

"Pleased to meet you, Agent Scully," said Commissioner Gordon, shaking her hand. Gordon was an older man, in his mid-sixties perhaps. His hair and moustache were white and he wore horn-rimmed glasses. But he was robust, active and appeared to be in excellent shape. He motioned for her to sit in the chair in front of his desk and waited until she was settled before taking his own seat. A gentleman, too.

He rubbed a hand across his forehead and got down to business.

"We've got some problems out at Blackgate. With Eddie Nigma."

"What kind of problems?"

"They aren't sure. Something's wrong with him. He's in a coma
right now. They have him in the prison infirmary, but they don't know what to do with him. The doctor out there has never seen anything like it. You're a physician, aren't you?" Scully nodded. Gordon described Nigma's symptoms. Scully felt a cold knot form in her stomach as he described the dark blotches on the skin and the blackening of the eyeballs.

"Have you ever heard of anything like that?" Gordon asked.

"I'm not sure," Scully replied cautiously. She shifted in her chair. "I wonder if it would be possible for me to examine him?"

"I don't see why not. They're talking about transferring him to Gotham General, where the facilities are better. That won't happen for another hour at least. I could send someone over there with you to look at him before he's moved."
"Thank you, Commissioner. You've been very cooperative." Unusually so. Local law enforcement often turned recalcitrant in the face of what they regarded as "interference" by the feds. It was a situation Scully had encountered more times than she could count.
Gordon gave her a thin smile. "You have a very good reputation, Agent Scully. I have to admit, I did some checking on you when I found out you were coming to Gotham. It happens I know your supervisor, Assistant Director Skinner. We attended a forensics seminar together a few years ago. I got to know the man. I respect him and I respect his opinion. He told me you were one of the best."
"Skinner said that?"

"Yes." Gordon leaned back in his chair. "Agent Scully. I know that whatever is going on here involves the Joker. I also understand that there may be national security issues involved that you can't discuss with me. But I want to tell you something." He leaned forward, elbows on the desk, looking her in the eyes. "I have some personal issues with the Joker. He has been a blight on this city for years. Even more than that, my own life has been touched by his actions. A few years ago, he shot and crippled my daughter."

"I'm sorry, Commissioner."

Gordon nodded. "So am I. But Barbara was lucky. Most of the
Joker's victims wind up in a box instead of a wheelchair. I'd like to see him put away for good. I'd like to see him dealt with. Frankly, I wouldn't mind seeing him dead. I don't know why you're interested in the Joker, but I'll do anything I can to help you. If the Joker is involved in terrorism or breaches of national security or whatever, I'd like nothing better than to have him taken out of Arkham Asylum and put in a federal prison where they might be able to hold onto him."

Scully sighed. "I'll level with you, Commissioner. I don't know exactly what's going on, but I think the Joker is involved in something very dark, very deep and very bad. Most of it I can't discuss with you. A lot of it I don't even know myself. But I don't like the Joker or his kind any more than you do. If there's any way I can bring him down, I'll do it."

Gordon looked at Scully for a few moments. She reminded him a little of Barbara. Not just the hair, which was almost the same shade, or her age, but the quiet determination. He liked her.
"Okay, Agent Scully, I'll get a detective in here to take you over to Blackgate." He was reaching for his phone when it rang. He picked up the receiver.

"Gordon... What? Oh, Jesus Christ. When? Well, what DOES he know? Damn it... Okay, I'll be out there as soon as I can."

He replaced the receiver and looked at Scully. "I think this thing, whatever it is, just went up a notch. The Joker is missing from Arkham."

"Oh my God," Scully said. Her head jerked to the right. She thought she had heard a slight noise from the partly-opened window. Like a sharp intake of breath. But there was only darkness outside. She was getting jumpy and that wouldn't do.

"I'm going out to Arkham," Gordon said. "I'd still like to you to go take a look at Nigma." He picked up the phone and punched in a few numbers. "Bullock? I need you to accompany Agent Scully out to Blackgate Prison. Yes. And Bullock? Be careful out there. The Joker's on the loose again and there may be some connection with him and whatever's happening to the Riddler." He was looking at Scully as he spoke, and he raised his eyebrows, seeking her confirmation. She nodded. "Yes. I know. I'll send her down to you and you head out. I'll let you know what happens. Okay."

He hung up.

"Agent Scully, Detective Bullock will be taking you over to Blackgate. You'll find him down in the squadroom. You can hardly miss him. Look for a rumpled fellow in a cheap suit with a box of donuts on his desk. I'll talk with you later."

"All right, Commissioner. And good luck."

"Thanks. I'll need it. And the same to you." Scully hurried out
of the office.

After he was sure she was out of earshot, Gordon turned to the window. "You heard all that?"
A black-gloved hand emerged from the gloom outside and grasped the sash, pushing the window all the way up. The Batman slid nimbly over the sill. "Yes," he said, his voice harder and colder than usual. "Something very odd is going on, Jim." He stood in a shadow by the window, looking at Gordon with those slitted white eyes of his. That still gave the Commissioner the creeps, even after all these years. He knew they must be two-way lenses or something, but there was still something... unearthly about it. The whole outfit made Gordon a little uneasy. The black bodysuit, the cowl, the long, flowing cape. It should have looked ridiculous, and probably would have on anyone else. But not on this man. Somehow, he made it work.

"I've learned some things about the Joker," Batman continued, "that have raised a number of questions in my mind." He quickly repeated for Gordon the conversation he'd tapped into between Scully and her partner.

"Jesus," Gordon said. "I never thought much about it, but you're right. What is that son of a bitch into? What IS he?"

"I don't know, Jim," Batman replied, shaking his head. "Beyond the obvious, that he's a conscienceless monster, I just don't know... And who is this 'Cancer Man' they referred to?"
"Who knows? We've got Calendar Man, Cat Man... why not Cancer Man? Well, I'm heading out to Arkham. Will you be meeting me there?"

The Batman pursed his lips into a thin line. "I don't think so. Since when have any of us been able to trace him from there when he gets loose? I'm going to follow Bullock and Scully. I have a really bad feeling about that business with Nigma."

"Okay. I'm still going to Arkham. You never know what..." He was interrupted by the ringing of the telephone. "Yeah, Gordon here. What!?!

Oh, god damn it! Are they sure? Shit. Yes, I'm on my way." He slammed down the receiver.

"What is it, Jim?"

"Just when you think things can't get any worse... Not only is the Joker out, but so is Harvey Dent! Do they even lock the goddamn doors over there? Jeremiah Arkham doesn't know shit, as usual. He can't even tell me how long they've been gone." He turned to get his hat and coat from the rack behind his desk. "Do you think..." He stopped automatically, before he even turned around. He knew no one was listening any more, knew from long and exasperating experience what he'd see when he looked back at the window.

Which was nothing. The Batman was gone. He had even closed the window, without a sound.
One of these days, I'm going to at least SEE him slip out, Gordon silently vowed.


BLACKGATE PRISON INFIRMARY
10:39 p.m.

No doubt about it. The Riddler had the Black Virus. Scully finished her brief examination, peeled off her rubber gloves and facemask, and stepped out from behind the curtain which had been placed around Nigma's hospital bed.

"This man is in bad shape," she announced to Detective Bullock and Dr. McGavin, the prison physician. "He's still alive, but only just.

I don't believe he's contagious. This thing isn't airborne. But he needs to be moved to a better facility." After what she and Mulder had witnessed over the past couple months, she didn't want to take any chances. At the same time, she didn't want to cause a panic. When she had a few moments alone, she would need to call Mulder and make arrangements to have the Riddler taken to a more secure location. In the meantime, Gotham General would have to do. There would at least be some decent diagnostic equipment she could use.

In fact, they were prepared to take him there. Blackgate Prison was located on a rocky island in Gotham Harbor. The ferry which had brought them over had also carried an ambulance to transport Nigma into the city. Scully would give him the once-over there, then try and get him someplace more secure before the virus could mutate any further. She hadn't even bothered to contact the local Bureau office; Mulder had warned her against it, and she had to agree. If the Cancer Man was involved in this, the old "trust no one" rule was in effect. She'd learned a lesson about that with Agent Michaud in Dallas.

God, it felt awful to be so on your own in these situations. She was grateful she had Mulder. Of course, if she'd never met Mulder, she never would have wound up IN any of these situations...
But she had to admit to herself that she wouldn't trade knowing him for anything in the world.
She wondered if they might be able to turn to Bruce Wayne for help. The man had money and resources, and he seemed to be on the up-and-up. Still, there was something a little odd about him. She couldn't pinpoint it, but she'd been around cloak-and-dagger types too long not to be able to recognize some of the symptoms.

She spoke briefly with the doctor and then made arrangements for the orderlies who had come along from Gotham General to load Eddie on a wheeled stretcher and take him out to the ambulance. "Be careful," she warned them. "Don't break the skin anywhere." They nodded and continued with their work.

"Well, Detective Bullock, are you ready to transport Eddie Nigma back into town?" Scully had found herself liking the detective sergeant almost immediately. They had hit it off quite nicely in a short time. Bullock was a slob, there was no other way to put it, and he was gruff to the point of ill-manneredness, but he struck Scully as being honest, straightforward and loyal. Those were qualities she was seldom exposed to in her normal theater of operations. She was beginning to revise her opinion of Gotham City a little-- or at least of some of its citizens. Gordon and Bullock seemed to be genuinely good men. And then there was Bruce Wayne...

"Yeah. Why not," the detective replied around the stub of a cigar he held between his teeth. "I've hauled this sack of sh... crap downtown more times than I can remember. At least this time I won't have to listen to any of his fu... freaking riddles."

Scully suppressed a giggle at Bullock's efforts to control his language in her presence. Just for fun, she popped off, "Well, let's get the motherfucker loaded up and shipped out."

Bullock almost swallowed his cigar. Then he smiled. "Fuckin' A, Agent. Come on, you two," he snarled at the orderlies. "We ain't got all night here."

Scully and Bullock followed the orderlies and the stretcher out of the infirmary and down a long, bleak, stone-walled corridor. The squeaky wheels echoed off the walls, making a sound like dozens of tiny rats. "So, Miss Special Agent," Bullock said as they walked, "is there anything you can tell me about any of this?"

"Not much," Scully admitted. "If you want to ask any questions, I'll answer what I can."

"Fair enough. You think the Joker did this to Eddie?"

"Possibly. Probably. At least, I think he was involved."

"Any idea why?"

"I can't say."

"Can't or won't?"

"A little of both."

Bullock nodded. "I getcha." He rubbed the back of his neck.

"Jesus, I hate that bastard. Not Nigma. He's just a pain in the ass. I mean the Joker. I have never in my life encountered such a hard-down evil son of a bitch."

"Yes. We've met," Scully said drily.

"You know what he did to the Commissioner's daughter?"

"Yeah."

Bullock snorted. "And all they ever do with him is lock him up in that cracker box asylum. Let me tell you something, Agent. If they were to leave me alone in a room with that bastard for five minutes, only one of us would come out. I wouldn't care if they busted my ass down to meter maid or threw me in this place." He jerked his thumb over his shoulder, back at the prison proper. "It'd be worth it to get rid of that piece of garbage. I've often wondered why the Bat's never done him..."

"The Bat? Sergeant Bullock, are you talking about the..." She was interrupted when the stretcher hit a crack in the concrete floor and almost toppled over. One of the orderlies just managed to catch it and put it right.

"Be careful!" Bullock shouted. Scully gave an inward sigh of relief. God knows what might have happened if Eddie had hit that hard floor. They continued to a barred door which a guard on the other side unlocked to let them pass. Two more such doors and they were outside.

It was cold and dark and quiet. Out on the harbor an occasional boat whistle tooted forlornly. The little group moved out to the jetty where the ferry was moored and got Eddie into the ambulance. Scully and Bullock stood on the deck, looking out at the dark water. Scully lit a cigarette and Bullock lit up the stub of a cigar. Neither of them noticed the dark figure which emerged from the water and crawled silently onto the ferry, slipping to a place of concealment behind the ambulance. They were both silent, thinking their respective thoughts.

"Well," Scully said, tossing her cigarette into the water, "I'd better get in there and keep an eye on Eddie while we cross."

"Okay. I'll stay out here. Just in case there's any trouble."

"You're expecting trouble?"

"When the Joker is in the picture, I expect any and everything."

Scully nodded and boarded the ambulance. The ferry pushed off
into the harbor. Bullock stood there for a while, feeling the cold wind move over him, then he said, "You can come on out. No sense hiding back there."

Batman emerged from the shadows behind the ambulance. "How did you know I was here?"

Bullock smiled a little. "I didn't. But I figured you might be. You're generally where the action is, or might be. Couldn't resist trying to get the drop on you for a change, just in case."

Batman moved over to join Bullock at the railing. "You do yourself harm by explaining. You had me going for a second. You get a better effect if you stay mysterious."

"Like you? No thanks." Bullock had had an uneasy relationship with Gotham's resident vigilante over the years, which had evolved into grudging respect and cautious trust. You couldn't call the two of them friends, but they were allies.

"Anyhow," Bullock continued, "there's enough mysterious shit going on around here as it is. This is some kinda spook show, I don't know what's going on. The feds are involved. I like that Agent Scully, I think she's on the up-and-up, but there's lots of stuff she isn't telling us."

"I agree."

"This crap with the Riddler, and that white-faced ghoul on the
loose again..."

"Not just him. Didn't Gordon get a chance to tell you? Dent escaped, too."

Bullock pounded his fist on the railing. "Oh, that's just GREAT! Fucking TWO-FACE! How much more screwed-up can this thing GET?"

Batman held up a finger for silence and cocked his head, listening to something Bullock couldn't hear. After a moment he said, "You ever hear that old expression about being careful what you ask for?"

All Bullock had a chance to say was, "Huh?" before the other boat was upon them.

It was dark and sleek and almost silent. About half the size of the ferry, it slid into position next to them and began to pace them. Batman crouched down, a hand moving to his belt. Bullock drew his service revolver from its shoulder holster. The deck of the ferry was illuminated by a large lamp on a pole above the pilot's cabin, while the other craft was totally dark. That was bad.

Batman's gloved hand shot out in the direction of the lamp, something flashed through the intervening space, and the bulb shattered, plunging the ferry into darkness. "Even the odds a little," he whispered to Bullock, who was crouched behind the rail, watching the other boat.
Batman touched a spot on the side of his cowl and a pair of night-vision lenses slid into place over the white slits in his mask.

"Stay still, Bullock," he said as he scanned the other boat. The small bridge appeared to be sealed up and he couldn't see anyone moving around. The other craft maintained a position relative to the ferry. Batman was sure someone was watching. Were they equipped with night-vision gear as well? Best to assume they were. He reached to his belt and removed a small cannister. He pulled a pin from the device and tossed it onto the deck of the other boat. It erupted into billowing clouds of thick, black smoke which quickly engulfed the smaller craft. No way they could see through THAT. Of course, there was no way he could see IN, either... He needed to do something quick. The wind would clear that smoke away before too long. He hopped up onto the railing, saying to Bullock, "You stay here. Keep that ambulance secure."

"Well, I shit-sure ain't gonna try and follow you!" the detective exclaimed. "'Stay here' he says...'"
Batman quickly got his bearings and launched himself across the gulf between the two boats, toward where he judged the other deck to be...

Inside the ambulance, Scully checked Eddie's vital signs. They weren't good. She sighed and got her cell phone out of her purse, punched in Mulder's number. The two orderlies were in the front of the truck, so she could have some privacy. He answered on the second ring.

"Mulder. That you, Scully?"

"None other. What are you up to?"

"Well, I took a nap earlier. Then I went back down to the chemical warehouse to look around some more. In fact, I'm there right now. Nothing to be found here. You come up with anything?"

"Oh yeah." She told him about the Riddler's condition and the Joker's escape.

"Holy shit," he said. "I'm on my way, Scully. It sounds like it might get hairy up there."

"It's already hairy. I'm afraid it's going to turn into a full-fledged Wookie. And I would sure appreciate your presence. I think we need to...wait a second, Mulder..." Scully took the phone from her ear and pressed the side of her face against the ambulance wall. She had heard something that sounded too much like a gunshot. She listened for a moment, then heard another one. Then several more. She put the phone back to her ear. "Mulder? I think something's going on here. Let me get back to you."

"Scully? What's..."

She closed the phone and dropped it into her purse, trading it for her 9-mm Beretta. She hefted the slim pistol in her hand, checked it to make sure it was loaded and clicked off the safety. Then she moved to the rear doors and waited, pressed into the little corner beside one of the sets of hinges. She almost jumped out of her skin at the sound of her cell phone chirping from inside her purse. Mulder. "Shit," she whispered, kicking the purse further away to muffle the noise. She could hear what sounded like a scuffle going on right outside the ambulance, and a couple more shots. Then silence. The soft lapping of water. Footsteps. Muffled voices.

Someone tried the handle on the ambulance door. Scully pressed tighter against the wall, gun at the ready. Fortunately, she had bothered to lock it.

Which wouldn't prevent someone from shooting out the lock. Which someone did.

Both doors jerked open abruptly and Scully leveled her pistol. But she was disoriented and had no idea where to aim. It didn't help that an extremely bright light was shining right in her face. She wasn't a bit surprised when the gun was knocked from her hand and went skidding off across the ferry deck. She stood and watched the silhouetted figures standing between her and the light. Than a voice, a familiar voice, said, "Cut that light, please." The glare was immediately doused.

Scully was confronted by two men carrying flashlights. This pair flanked a third man, the one who had spoken. All three were shrouded in gloom. She looked around for Bullock, but couldn't see any trace of the detective in the darkness.

"What's going on here? Who are you?"

"Sorry," came the voice. The cultured, polite voice she had
heard once before, earlier that evening. "Boys, let Miss Scully see who she's talking to."

The other men trained their flashlights on the face of their leader. Scully winced.

"Hello Mr. Dent," she said calmly. "I wasn't expecting to run into you this evening."

****

Bullock came awake slowly and painfully. Someone was prodding him in the shoulder. He didn't like that. "Cudditout," he mumbled. Then a sharp ammonia smell exploded in his nostrils and filled his head and he sprang upright, coughing and cursing.

"What the hell," he said, wiping tears from his eyes.

"Just a mild stimulant," Batman said, tossing the remains of a broken glass vial over the side of the boat. "Old-fashioned smelling salts, actually."

Bullock rubbed his head, looking for bumps or cuts. "What happened? I just blacked out."

"They didn't hit you. It was gas. It almost got me, too. I got my nose filters in in time, but I still let myself get overpowered. They jumped me as soon as I hit the deck on that other boat. Stupid of me. I got a nice crack in the skull and tossed overboard. I must be slipping, Bullock."

"You? I doubt it. And cut the self-reproach routine. It ain't dignified. Everybody gets taken by surprise sometimes. Even you. They got me, too; you don't hear me whining. You're only human..." He studied the man standing before him, the black suit, bat-eared cowl, long cloak.
"-- aren't you?"

Batman smiled. "Yeah, Bullock." He sighed. "It was Two-Face. I'm afraid he got Scully and Nigma."

"Jeezus," Bullock said. "That's fantastic. So what do we got here? Is he working with the clown?"
"It doesn't seem likely. They've never gotten along too well in the past. But this is too much of a coincidence to be a coincidence. They must be working together on this for some reason. Who knows? Harvey is as unpredictable as the Joker."

"That fucking coin of his. He has a serious screw loose."

"He's a ... troubled man."

"He's a freak-job."

"Is that a clinical term, Detective?"

"It's the goddamn truth."

Batman was fiddling with one of his little gadgets, a small box about the size of a pocket calculator. The thing was beeping and squawking and the Batman was squinting at it, punching buttons.

"What are you doin'?" Bullock asked, pulling himself to his feet. "Scanning for lifeforms?"

"In a way, yes," Batman replied distractedly, studying his little gadget. "I managed to place a tracer on Agent Scully earlier. I'm trying to get a fix now."

"A tracer... How did you do that? You didn't come within ten feet of her, that I know of."

Batman glanced at Bullock, giving him what might have been a smile. "Unlike you, I don't give my secrets away. Better to leave them guessing." He returned his attention to the device for a few moments, then clipped it onto his belt. He got down on his hands and knees and crawled around the deck, shining a small flashlight over the surface.

"Whatever you say." Bullock stretched and leaned against the rail of the ferry. "How 'bout the ferry pilot? He okay?"

"Yes. So are the orderlies. They didn't get any of the gas. Two-Face's men simply held guns on them while they transferred Scully and the Riddler to their boat." He stopped for a moment and scraped something from the surface of the deck with a small knife and transferred it into a small plastic envelope, which he placed into his belt. "They're in the pilot's cabin now. I radioed police headquarters. Someone will be on the other side to meet you when you dock."

"'When YOU dock.' Not 'when WE dock.' You planning on getting out in the middle of the harbor? You into walking on water now?"

"Not quite. My ride should be here any minute."

Bullock looked out over the water, saw a couple of red lights coming their way. "That must be it now," he said. A small, sleek black boat, somewhat similar to the craft Two-Face had used, hove into position next to the ferry. The cockpit canopy slid back and someone stuck his head out and started waving.

"The bird boy," Bullock said, waving back. "How's it hanging, kid!"

"Not bad Bullock," Robin shouted back. "You still keeping the donut shop in business?"

"Smart aleck," Bullock said, smiling. He turned to speak to the Batman, but all he saw was something dark sailing over his head. He turned back around in time to see the Bat slide into the cockpit of the small boat. He waved a black-gloved hand, the canopy slid shut and the little boat took off. Bullock shook his head. He respected the Bat but he'd never understand him. Bullock had heard all the stories that circulated in the underworld, about how the Bat wasn't human, he was a ghost or a monster of some kind. And he was capable of coming across that way when he wanted to. But Bullock knew that the man was very human indeed. Maybe too human. The work he did could be grim and lonely. Why did he do it? Bullock understood the passion for justice, the desire to see wrongs righted. Why hadn't the Bat just become a cop instead of... doing what he did? What had happened to the man to make him what he was?

"Ah, screw it," Bullock muttered. "He's a freak. A stand-up guy, but a freak." He'd never understand. He walked over to the pilot's cabin to check on the three men inside.


Batman took the pilot's seat and Robin shifted over into the passenger space.
"You okay?" Robin asked, watching as Batman placed his tracer device on the dashboard of the boat cockpit. Batman was grim tonight, moreso than usual.

"I'll do," Batman replied. "Did you and Alfred get anything on that incident in Washington?"
"Yeah. It took us a while, but we finally managed to get into the FBI's system. There was a break-in at a government chemical storage facility. We couldn't find out what was taken, but we do know that the Joker must have been involved. The guards were killed with Joker Venom."
Batman was about to say something when a soft beeping sound from a device on the dash interrupted him. He reached over and flipped a switch.

"That you, Dick?"

"Yeah," came a muffled voice from the radio speaker. "I'm out at the old Ace Chemical plant. I found it. In a pipe leading from one of the old chemical sluice tanks. It was under about three feet of water, but I don't see how anyone could have missed it when they were shutting the plant down. Unless they didn't bother combing them, which is possible."

"No real reason to," replied Batman. "So?"

"Not much left. Some bones, fragments of what looks to have been a tuxedo... and a metal helmet, shaped like a hood. There are still a few flecks of red paint adhering to the surface."

Batman nodded, his mouth a grim line. "The Red Hood. Damn. Scully was right. Dick, can you bring that out of there, get it to the cave?"

"Sure. So this is the Red Hood, huh? Then who is the Joker?"

"That's the question. I'll see you later."

"Okay. Be careful." Batman cut the connection.

Robin was silent, chewing on his lower lip. "Something freaky is going on, huh?" he said finally.

"That's an understatement, Tim." He steered the boat, taking a course out of the harbor and up the coast. There was a hidden cove a few miles away where they stashed the craft. From there they could make it to Wayne Manor in a few minutes. "We're going back to the cave and I'm going to try and get a fix on Agent Scully's location. According to my tracker, they've gone inland, so we'll need the car. Two-Face has her and the Riddler. I don't know what he plans on doing with them, but whatever it is, it can't be good. The Joker is in this somewhere."

"Nice," said Tim. "The Joker, Two-Face, the Riddler... I wonder what ELSE..."

"DON'T say it, Tim," Batman said, his voice sharp. He stared straight ahead as he piloted the little boat into the cove.



Dana Scully sat in the passenger seat of an old panel truck. She was unarmed and minus her purse, but had not been restrained or mistreated in any way. Two-Face was doing the driving. He had a pistol in his left hand, steering with his right. His two goons were in the back with Eddie Nigma. Fortunately, Scully was on Dent's "good" side. She couldn't see the scarred half of his face. That made things seem a little more... normal.

"So you're working for the Joker now?" she said.

"WE do not work FOR anyone, Agent Scully," came Harvey Dent's strong, rather pleasant voice. "We made a bargain with the clown. He offered us our freedom. In return, he asked us to obtain you and Eddie Nigma. We believe in paying our debts. Thus balance is maintained."

Scully sighed. Harvey Dent was long gone. She glanced out the window of the truck. They had left the city limits some time ago, after Two-Face and his men had transferred them from the small boat into this vehicle, and seemed to be entering an almost rural area. There were few buildings to be seen, and most of them appeared derelict.

"I suppose the Joker intends to kill me?" she said after a time.

"We don't know what the clown has planned. We would imagine so, though. The Joker intends to kill everyone."

"Lovely, just lovely. How can you stand dealing with a man like that? You used to be a prosecutor, for God's sake!"

In fact, Harvey Dent had been one of the country's most up-and-coming young DAs before the incident that had scarred his face and his mind. It was common knowledge in those days that he was on the fast track to the Justice Department-- maybe even the office of Attorney General eventually. My God, this madman sitting here with a gun in his hand could have been Scully's BOSS if things had gone a little differently...

"Things change, Agent Scully," said Dent. "Life goes in cycles. Sometimes good, sometimes bad. We merely go with the flow, as it were. Frankly, I'd just as soon dispose of the clown. Perhaps that day will come. Today, however..." Dent's voice dropped, became low, cold and threatening. "...just keep your fucking mouth shut, bitch, or I'll finish you off myself."

Jesus Christ, thought Scully, and turned to gaze out the window once again.


POLICE COMMISSIONER GORDON'S OFFICE
12:33 a.m.

Special Agent Fox Mulder yawned and rubbed his eyes, taking another sip of the strong, terrible-tasting coffee Gordon had given him.

He was feeling tired after the quick red-eye flight into Gotham. He was also worried about his partner. He had tried several times to call Scully on her cell phone, without success. Once he got into Gotham and made his way to Gordon's office, he found out why.

"Two-Face has her," Gordon informed him bluntly. "He and his men abducted Agent Scully and Edward Nigma from a ferry which was carrying them into Gotham from Blackgate Prison."

"Two-Face," Mulder said. "Harvey Dent? The ex-district attorney?"

Gordon nodded. "He was a good man once, but..."

"I know," Mulder said. "I'm a criminal psychologist, Commissioner. I did a paper on Dent when I was in the Academy. He's got a lot going on in that duplex of a head of his. Schizophrenia, multiple personality disorder, post-traumatic stress syndrome..."

"He's a tragic figure," Gordon replied, "but extremely dangerous, make no mistake. Your partner may be in a great deal of danger. We think Dent may be working with the Joker. Dent doesn't mind killing, but he doesn't revel in it like the Joker does. Have you ever studied the Joker?"

"Yes, Commissioner, and I have my own ideas on him. But," he squirmed in his chair and leaned forward, "what I'm really interested in right now is what is being done to locate Agent Scully."

Gordon sighed. "Agent Mulder, when dealing with individuals like Two-Face and the Joker, normal investigative methods are nearly useless."

Mulder banged his coffee cup onto the Commissioner's desk, slopping a little coffee over the rim. "So what are you saying? We're just going to sit here with our..."

Gordon held up a hand. "Calm down Agent Mulder. All I said was that normal investigative methods didn't tend to work. Fortunately, we have some... irregular methods we can take advantage of."

Mulder, somewhat mollified, had taken a handkerchief from his pocket and was mopping up the spilled coffee. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"Officially, I'm not saying anything, Agent Mulder. Officially, we are just sitting here with our thumbs up our asses, as I believe you were about to say." Gordon stood up. "Normally, I would be hesitant to let a federal agent-- or anyone from outside Gotham-- in on this. But, as I mentioned to Agent Scully earlier, I know Assistant Director Skinner, and I spoke with him earlier today-- yesterday-- about the two of you. He was circumspect, but he let me know that most of the cases you deal with are somewhat-- out of the ordinary."

"You could say that," Mulder nodded.

Gordon was pulling on an overcoat. "I'd like you to come up to the roof with me, Mr. Mulder. I have something to show you."

Mulder stood. "I assume we're not going to do a star chart and try to locate Scully by astrology?"

"You assume right. There's someone I'd like you to meet. He's a... specialist in cases like this. He may already be on the trail, but we can try..."

"Paging him?" Mulder offered. He was actually grinning. Concerned as he was over Scully, tense as he was over the whole situation, he could not repress the thrill of excitement he felt.

"Exactly," Gordon said. "Come on." He led the way out of his office and up a short flight of steps to the roof. He walked over to a large object concealed by a dark tarpaulin. Mulder buttoned up his own dark overcoat against the chill wind.

"That's the pager, huh?" Mulder said as Gordon pulled the tarp away. Underneath was what appeared to be a large searchlight.

"This is it," Gordon confirmed.

"He might want to invest in a cell phone," Mulder suggested.

Gordon made no reply. He pulled a switch on the base of the light assembly. The thing began to hum as it warmed up. Mulder moved a little closer. Then stepped back suddenly as the light came to brilliant life, dazzling him.

"Wow," he whispered, staring at the beam. It shone on the underside of a low-hanging cloud, a circle of yellow light with a black bat-shaped silhouette in the center. It may have been impractical, but Mulder had to admit it was impressive as hell.

"So what happens now?" he asked, stepping closer to Gordon.

"Now we wait. If he isn't on something else, or in some kind of trouble, he'll be here."

They didn't have long. Mulder stood tensely next to Gordon, listening for anything in the silence of the night, when a low, cold voice came from behind him. "What is it Jim?"

Mulder whirled around, instinctively going for his gun. He was tense as a spring, and his academy training had taken over automatically. But before he could even focus on a target, he found himself disarmed, staring at a patch of blackness a couple feet in front of him which may or may not have been a human figure. He looked down at his empty hand, then back at the mass of shadow. A gloved hand extended from the blackness, holding Mulder's pistol by the barrel.

The eerie voice came again, "Be careful with this thing, Agent Mulder. You could get hurt."

Mulder accepted his pistol and returned it to its holster. He should have been pissed off-- and he WAS a little perturbed over the ease with which he had been disarmed-- but considering who had done the disarming, he didn't feel too bad. FBI Academy training was good, but Mulder had the feeling that this guy knew some things the Academy had never dreamed of.

"It's you," Mulder said, feeling stupid. "I mean, you're him. Right?"

The figure moved closer, out of the deeper shadows and into the dim backlight cast by the signal. Mulder could make out the black bodysuit, the insignia on the chest, the cowl which obscured all but the man's mouth and chin.

"Wow," Mulder said again. "There really IS a Batman."

"Yes, Virginia," said Gordon, shutting down the signal.

"I was joking with Scully earlier, but I wasn't sure... I mean, I always thought it was POSSIBLE, but..."

"I try to keep a low profile," Batman said softly.

Gordon stepped forward. "This is Special Agent Fox Mulder. He's Agent Scully's partner."

"Yes," Batman replied, in a tone which made it plain that the information was not news to him. "Fox William Mulder, currently assigned to the so-called 'X-Files.' You and your partner are working on a burglary which took place in Washington yesterday morning in which the Joker appears to be involved."

If he had done that to impress Mulder, it worked. "Yeah, right," he replied as evenly and calmly as possible. "And if you know all that, I guess you know Scully's in trouble."

The Batman nodded. "I was on that ferry when Two-Face took her. I should have been able to prevent it. I'm sorry. But I was able to place a tracer on Agent Scully's person before she was taken. Unfortunately, I'm not getting much of a signal from it. I can't pinpoint a location, just a general direction."

"Which leaves us where?" Mulder wanted to know.

"Not as far up the creek as you might think," Batman replied.

"The signal seems to be coming from the northwest, eight or nine miles past the city limits. There isn't much out there in the way of buildings. And the reason I'm getting such a poor signal could be because of some electromagnetic interference. If someone is out there using heavy equipment, they ought to be fairly easy to locate.

"And finally, I got some soil samples from the deck of the ferry after Two-Face and his men had gone. That ought to help. There were some trace chemicals that I think might point to a specific location."

Mulder shook his head. "You're part Dracula, part Sherlock Holmes."

Batman ignored the remark and continued, "Ace Chemicals had an old storage facility out there which is still standing. I want to check that out first. As you know, Jim, there is a connection of some kind between the Joker and Ace Chemicals."

"The Red Hood thing," Gordon said.

"Yes. By the way, I had Nightwing check out the old Ace factory. He found a skeleton out there. Wearing a metal helmet that had once been painted red."

Gordon smacked a fist into an open palm. "Damn! So the Joker really ISN'T..."

"No. But we'll go into that later. I have the body back at my... place. Robin is doing some tests to see if we can make an ID."

Gordon shook his head. "You should have notified me. Bodies like that need to be brought to the morgue and..."

"Jim. We both know about proper procedure. And we both know I step outside of that at times. I promise you, the body will be delivered to you when we're through with it."

"Well, I haven't got time to argue, and neither do you. You need to get out there and find Agent Scully."

"WE need to get out there," Mulder interjected. He looked Batman in the eyes. Or the white slits where he presumed the eyes were. "I'm going with you."

"Of course you are," Batman said evenly.

Mulder was momentarily taken aback. He'd expected to have to put up an argument. All he could think of to say was, "I am?"

"Yes. Scully is your partner. I know how I'd feel if MY partner were in danger. I wouldn't take no for an answer. Besides, there are some questions I need to ask you and we don't have time to sit down and do it over coffee here."

"Okay," Mulder said. "So... What do we do? I don't have any ropes for swinging across the rooftops."

Batman looked at him. Mulder couldn't tell what was going on behind those slits. "Meet me down on the street. We'll take my car." Before Mulder could speak, he continued, "You'll know which one it is."

GO TO PART THREE

GOTHAM X part 3 black centipede creeping dawn CREEPING+DAWN2+copy.jpg theblackcentipede.blogspot.com

ACE CHEMICALS STORAGE FACILITY
12:45 a.m.


Two-Face guided the truck off the main road onto a rutted drive, through a gap in a rusted old chain link fence, and on up to a huge, dark building which waited in the middle of a weed-choked lot. Two cars were parked in front of the building.

Two-Face parked between the cars. He motioned with his gun. "Get out, please, Agent," he said. He was being Harvey again, civil and polite. "Please don't try to run away. We will shoot you if you do." She had no doubt that he would and could. She stepped out of the truck and stood beside it, weighing her options. As of right now, they were lighter than helium.

Dent moved around to the back of the truck, banging on the door, keeping Scully in sight. "Come on, jerk-offs," he growled in his "bad" voice. "Get that piece of shit out of there and let's get moving."

Scully shuddered. Not just because it was cold, though it was. She didn't know what she was about to be dropped into the middle of, and she didn't like the feeling one bit.

Dent's men hauled the stretcher containing the Riddler out of the truck and carried it toward the front of the old building. Scully winced as she watched them jostle it around carelessly. They stopped in front of a rusted iron door. The whole front of the place was shabby, weather-beaten and dingy. But, incongruously, there was a shiny new intercom speaker set into the wall next to the door. Two-Face thumbed a button.

"Yes?" came a chillingly familiar voice, one Scully had hoped never to hear again. "Is that the pizza I ordered? It took you more than 30 minutes, I should get a discount."

"Fuck you," said "bad" Harvey. "We've got your merchandise. Let us drop it off and get the hell out of here."

"Oh, Harvey, it's you. And you. Nice to have you both. You have Mr. Nigma?"

"Yes, yes."

"And the beautiful, mysterious Agent Scully? You didn't forget her, I hope."

"We have everything we promised." This time it was "good" Harvey speaking. Spending time around this guy could make your head spin. He was worse than that shape-shifting character she and Mulder had busted a couple years ago.

"Very good. You're a couple of really reliable guys, Harv. That's why I luv ya so much. Though I'm partial to the one on the left."

The door buzzed and Two-Face pushed it open. "C'mon," he muttered, motioning to Scully and the stretcher-bearing goons. "Let's get this over with."

They walked down a dark corridor until they came to another metal door. This one was shiny and looked brand new. Two-Face swore and punched another button.

"Yes? Who is it?" came the Joker's voice from another small speaker.

"God damn it, open the door!"

"Oh, Harvey. How silly of me. Come in, come in." The second door buzzed and Two-Face opened it, gesturing for Scully and the two thugs to precede him through.

Scully found herself in a large, clean, well-lighted room. The walls were lined with scientific equipment, the purpose of which Scully couldn't even guess at. From somewhere beyond the walls she could hear the humming of a transformer. In the middle of the room, arms spread wide, looking even more bizarre than usual in a white lab coat, stood the Joker.

"Welcome to my house," he said, the macabre grin plastered across his face. "Enter freely and of your own will. Or, in your case, Agent Scully, at the point of a gun."


"How much did this thing cost?" Mulder asked. He was in the passenger seat next to Batman, looking around at the array of equipment visible in the -- "cockpit" was the best word-- of the Batmobile.

"I don't know," Batman said flatly, steering the car along a dark downtown street. "I've added to it over the years. I don't keep financial records on it."

"What do you do at tax time?" Mulder asked.

Batman glanced over at him coldly.

"Don't worry," Mulder said. "I'm FBI, not IRS. I don't like those guys any better than anyone else does. But remember what happened to Al Capone."

Batman was silent, apparently concentrating on his driving. The sound of the engine was like the muffled roar of a jet. Mulder wondered how many miles to the gallon it got. Or gallons to the mile. When Batman spoke again, abruptly, Mulder was startled.

"Who is the 'Cancer Man?'"

Mulder looked at him. "You know about him?"

"I've... heard him mentioned. Who is he?"

Mulder sighed. "That's a good question. I don't know his name. I don't know who he works for. I do know that he's an evil son of a bitch and that he's into some really sick stuff."

"What kind of stuff?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Try me."

"I shouldn't discuss it with you."

"And you always do just as you're told, Agent Mulder?"

"Hm. Okay, you got me there. And, hell, if I can't trust an anonymous man in a bat costume, who CAN I trust? Okay, this is what I know:

"Something very big and very weird is going on. I don't want to sound crazy..." He glanced over at his companion, looked the man up and down, gazed around the interior of the vehicle. "Hell, sitting here with you, it seems a little mundane. Okay, I believe that our planet is in imminent danger of invasion by... colonists of some kind, from somewhere..." He waved a hand in the direction of the sky. "...out there. Okay? You with me so far?"

"Go on."

"This 'Cancer Man' is a spook of some kind. CIA, DIA, DOD, WTF... I don't know. He's working with a group-- I don't know who they are exactly, but they have ties to the government-- they're involved in this somehow. My theory is that they want to facilitate this invasion, hopefully earn the colonists' gratitude, and save their own asses.

"Sometimes it seems like this Cancer Man is working with them. Sometimes he seems to be working against them. I don't know. I've been dealing with this shit for five or six years now, and sometimes I don't know which end is up."

Batman said nothing. Just continued to drive. They were passing through the outskirts of Gotham now, the buildings were getting smaller and fewer.

"Well," said Mulder. "That's what I know. You want to say anything? Tell me how crazy I am? Tell me I need to get a grip? Come on!

Give me something to work with. Tell me I'm nuts so I can come back with a remark about how at least I'm not the one dressed up like a flying rodent!"

"Bats aren't rodents. They were reclassified as primates."

"I see. I'm familiar with the silent treatment, too. But listen to me. Don't you believe," he said earnestly, "don't you think it's even possible that this planet has been visited by beings from other worlds, with abilities beyond what we have?"

Batman was silent for a moment. "No," he said at last. "No, I don't." His lips twitched a bit. Was he smiling? "But I have a friend who does. You ought to talk with him sometime. He lives in Metropolis."

Mulder gaped at him. "That was a joke! You made a joke!"

"I never joke."

Mulder sat back in his seat and kept quiet for a while. Then he said, "Can I ask you a personal question?"

"As long as you don't count on an answer."

"Fair enough. I'm talking generalities, anyhow. You don't need to be specific." He shifted uneasily. "Why do you do it?"

Batman was silent. Mulder went on, "I mean, why do you..."

"I know what you mean. Sometimes I don't know the answer myself.

"But something... bad happened to me, a long time ago. I never forgot it, never let go of it. I let it shape my thinking, my philosophy... my entire life. Sometimes it seems like I've been... chasing that demon that traumatized me when I was... younger. Trying to get rid of it. Or to understand it. Or to just do SOMETHING with it. Does that make sense to you?"

Mulder thought for a moment-- about his sister, about his career in the Bureau, about all the things that had happened to him over the past few years. "Yeah," he said. "Yeah, it makes sense. Believe it or not, my story's similar... Wow. I can't believe it. I'm bonding with the Batman!"

Batman glanced over at Mulder. "I'm not going to hug you," he said dryly.

Mulder snapped his fingers. "Ha! There! You did it again!"

Batman pressed his foot down harder on the accelerator, gunning the engine to drown out further conversation.


The Joker had Scully tied in a chair. He had instructed Two-Face's men to remove Eddie Nigma from the stretcher and place him in what looked like a curved glass coffin. Scully had seen something similar not too long before. In fact, she had been inside one.

"Well, well," he said, clapping his hands together. "We'll be ready to get started real soon now."
"Okay clown," growled Two-Face. "Can we get out of here now?"

"Oh, I don't think so, Harvey." The Joker produced a small automatic from beneath his lab coast and pointed it at him. Two-Face had stuck his own gun in his belt and couldn't get at it before the Joker would have a chance to fire.

"What the hell is this, clown?"

"Just something I've always wanted to try. Your coin, Harv. Toss it here."

Harvey grumbled but removed the coin from his pocket and tossed it to the Joker. The clown caught it deftly and held it up to the light, admiring it. "Pretty, pretty," he said. "Okay, here goes." He flipped it high into the air and caught it in the palm of his hand, squeezing his fingers tightly over it.

"Which side, Harvey? Good or bad? Do I kill you or let you walk out? I can see why you get off on this! It's like playing the lottery!" He opened his palm and looked at it. "Oh my. The scarred side. See?" He held the coin up. Sure enough, the damaged face was uppermost. The Joker sighed. "I guess that means..." He leveled the automatic at Two-Face and squeezed the trigger. A little cloth flag popped out of the barrel, the word "BANG!" emblazoned on it.

"... I let you live! The worst possible thing I could inflict upon society. Here ya go" he tossed the coin back to Two-Face who grabbed it out of the air. "Scat. Be on your way. I want you out of here in TWO shakes of a lamb's tail. Hahahahahahah!"

"Goddamn freak," muttered Dent. He and his henchmen left the room.

The Joker turned his attention to Scully. "Those boys will eventually come to a bad end, don't you think? They oughtta be locked up. Problem is, how do you put them in solitary confinement? Hahahahaha!"

Scully was frightened but forced her voice to remain calm. "So," she said as nonchalantly as she could, "What have you got going on in here? I thought you were just a garden-variety psycho. When did you branch out into the mad scientist business?"

"Oh, I was a mad scientist long before I became a thug. I got tired of it. But when my government calls, I must respond. For God and country and all that. Not to mention five million bucks and a ticket out of Arkham!"

"Your government?"

"Well... Somebody's government. Not the duly elected one. The one that works under the surface. Yhe REAL power. You know about that one, don't you Dana?" He reached out and touched her cheek. She turned her head.

"Keep your hands off me," she said through gritted teeth.

The Joker sighed. "Don't worry, honey. I'm not after your virtue. Assuming you have any. I just want to..."

He was interrupted by a loud voice from the other side of the room. "Joker! What is going on here?"

Scully and the Joker both looked over at the source of the voice. Scully's heart sank. It was him.

The Cancer Man.

The Joker clapped his hands. "My benefactor! How nice to see you!"

"Never mind all that," said the other man, advancing into the room. As usual, he had a cigarette in his mouth. "What's she doing here?

I told you to leave her alone."

"And I ALWAYS do just as I'm told, don't I?" the Joker responded sweetly. "What can I say? A lonely girl, new in town, no friends... I couldn't resist inviting her over!"

"Damn you," the other man said. "You may think you're indispensable, but you aren't. The only reason you're still alive is because some of my associates want you that way."

"And you don't?"

"I'd like to see you in hell."

"And I'm sure we'll meet there some day, in the great by-and-by. It'll be old home week: you, me, Hitler, Rasputin, Nixon.... I can hardly wait!"

"You may not have to. Right now, my associates aren't present. It's just you and me."

"And Agent Scully. Don't forget Agent Scully."

The Cancer Man looked at Scully. She thought she saw genuine regret and pain in his eyes. Just a hint of it; his face was almost as mask-like as usual. But there was something there, something... almost human.

He took a drag from his cigarette, blew smoke. "I wish you hadn't brought her here. We'll discuss it later. Are you ready to proceed?"

"Oh, yes. Eddie looks nice and ripe. I've been working like a little beaver over those lovely chemicals you had sent. I just need to get a sample of Eddie's blood-- or whatever's sloshing around in his veins now-- and make a few adjustments. Then we'll be ready for the acid test."
"And you believe your formula will kill these things?"

"Believe me, Smokey old pal, if I know anything, I know killing.

Whether it's human beings or invaders from Mars. I studied everything you've been sending me for the past year. I think I have a pretty good idea what makes these things tick. I'd like to know what caused them to mutate all of a sudden, but that's really neither here nor there. They have a nice little quirk in their DNA which will make them especially vulnerable to.... But I see I'm losing you. You get a little out of your depth when it gets past 'lock and load,' don't you?"

Scully was amazed. For a moment there, while he was talking about his "work," the Joker had sounded almost sane. He really did know what he was talking about.

"Well, never mind. Let's get this show on the road. I'll get my sample from Eddie, then we'll be ready for action. Hahahahahahahahaha!" He took a hypodermic needle from his jacket pocket and moved over to Eddie's "coffin."

The Smoking Man gave Scully what seemed to be a sad look, then followed the Joker.



Mulder and Batman were jolting along a rutted dirt road in the Batmobile. According to Batman they were almost at their destination. "It's pretty desolate out here," Mulder observed.

"Yes," Batman agreed. "So what are they doing out here?"

Mulder looked ahead of them. A pair of headlights approached
from down the road.

"Sightseers?" Mulder suggested.

"I'll bet," Batman replied. He gunned the engine and aimed the
Batmobile directly toward the oncoming headlights.

Mulder squirmed. "Uh, I don't mean to tell you your business or anything..."

"Then don't," said Batman through gritted teeth. The headlights swerved to the left and Batman steered along to stay with them. They swerved back to the right and so did the Batmobile. Just as it seemed a collision was unavoidable, Batman slammed on the brakes. The Batmobile slewed to the left and came to a stop, blocking the road. Mulder could hear the flying gravel and squealing brakes as the other driver brought his vehicle to a halt. The truck tottered in a cloud of dust, looking as though it might overturn. It didn't, but rocked violently back and forth on its springs.
"What do you..." Mulder began. Then he realized he was talking to himself. The canopy covering the car's cockpit had slid open and the Batman was gone.

Mulder squinted through the windshield at the truck. Something dark had covered the windshield. Mulder heard the sound of breaking glass and thick white smoke billowed out of the cab of the truck. There was a single gunshot and what sounded like the impact of a fist on a jaw. A sharp cry, then silence.

Mulder watched Batman hop off of the hood and open the driver's side door. The smoke was dissipating, drifting lazily out through the shattered windshield. Batman crawled into the cab, stayed there for a moment, then hopped back out. he sprinted around to the rear and opened the doors. Then he dashed back over and vaulted into the seat next to Mulder.

"It was Two-Face and a couple of his goons," Batman informed him. "I trussed them up and disabled the truck. They won't be going anywhere. No sign of Scully, but we know we're on the right track." He flipped a switch on the dash. There was a burst of static, then a voice:

"Gordon here." The voice was audible, but there was plenty of static.

"It's me. I just took care of Two-Face." He gave Gordon the location. "We're on the right track. You hear all that interference?"

"Yes," Gordon responded. "I'm reading you, but you're faint."

"Someone's using some kind of electromagnetic equipment around here. We're almost at the Ace facility. Send some people out here. Equip them for... anything. I'll be in touch. Batman out." He switched off the radio.

"Do you have any idea what we're going into?" Mulder asked.

"None whatsoever. Why? Do you want to get out?"

"Hell no!"

This time Batman did smile. "I didn't think so. Hang on." he gunned the engine, swerved around the disabled truck, and roared off down the dark road.


The Joker, having obtained a sample of Eddie's blood, was studying a drop of it under a microscope. "Dear, dear," he muttered. "This is some wicked shit, man. This stuff is mutating like... crazy. Ahahahahaha! I'd better get my little formula together and pump some into poor old Eddie or we'll soon have a bouncing baby space monster on our hands. And I don't know nothin' 'bout birthin' no babies."

"This toxin of yours," the Cancer Man said, "does it merely eradicate the intrusive organism, or does it kill the human host as well?"

The Joker looked at him, grinning as always. "Does it really matter?"

The other man sighed. "I suppose not."

"That's the spirit, old man," the Joker said, clapping him on the shoulder. "We'll make a homicidal psychopath out of you yet."

"Don't touch me," he said coldly.

"That's the second time today someone's told me that." He raised his arm and sniffed at his armpit. "What's the matter? Do I offend? Hahahahahahahahaha!" He moved over to a piece of equipment set against the wall. it looked like a huge centrifuge, made of porcelain and steel. Heavy electrical cables snaked into it from the walls.

"My little recipe has been cooking for long enough now. Have to bathe the stuff in EM radiation, you know... give it that added little zing!" He flipped a switch on the device and the humming gradually faded into silence. Once it had stopped completely, he opened a circular hatch and took out a small metal vial.

"Here it is! Uncle Joker's Guaranteed Alien Killer! Hits 'em where they live!" he moved to a table, unscrewed the lid from the vial and poured it into a glass test tube which he immediately plugged with a black rubber cork. he held it up to the light to examine it. It was a pale green liquid which seemed to glow ever so slightly. "Bee-yoo-tiful!" he exclaimed. "Let's change the oil." He selected another hypo from the table, thrust the needle through the rubber cork, and filled it with the green liquid. He carefully placed the tube with the remainder of the fluid on the table and walked over to the "coffin" where the Riddler lay. The Joker lifted the lid. Eddie looked awful. His skin was almost entirely black. "Poor Eddie," the Joker whispered. "We hardly knew ye!" Then he jabbed the needle into Eddie's arm and pushed down the plunger.


"This must be the place," said Mulder, as the Batmobile roared through the gap in the fence. He pointed at the dark old building. A faded sign over the door announced that this was the "Ace Chemical Corp., Northwest Gotham Facility." Batman cut the engine and lights and let the car glide silently to a stop a few yards from the building.

"Undoubtedly," he replied. He switched on the radio and got Gordon. The transmission was clear, not a trace of static. "We're here," he said.

"I'm on my way," Gordon replied, "with as many units as I could scrape together. We'll be there in no more than 20 minutes."

"Okay." Batman cut the transmission and turned to Mulder. "Hear that? Static's gone. Whatever equipment was being used has been shut off. I don't know if that's good or bad."

"Me either," Mulder said. "So, do we go in?"

"I can't think of anything else at this point." Batman released a latch and the canopy slid back. He and Mulder climbed out of the car.

"How do we get in?" Mulder whispered.

"I like the direct approach," Batman replied, removing something from his belt. He sprinted over to the front door and attached the device to the doorknob, then dashed back to Mulder. "Get on the ground," he said, flattening himself in the dirt. He flipped a switch on his belt and a small but violent explosion took the door out of its frame.

Batman stood up. "Let's go," he said.

He and Mulder passed through the ruined doorway. "Steel door in a wooden frame," Batman said. "Real smart. The Joker would know better. Someone else must have outfitted this place." They continued down the corridor to the second door. Batman pressed himself against the corridor wall and motioned for Mulder to do the same on the other side. "Be careful," he whispered. "They'll know we're here by now."

Mulder nodded, drew his pistol from his shoulder holster. Batman gave him a sour look. At least Mulder thought he did; it was hard to tell in the gloom. It was obvious that this man didn't care much for guns.

They advanced slowly toward the door. Mulder strained his ears but could hear nothing. He looked over at his companion, who also seemed to be listening intently. Batman held up a hand, cocked his head, touched the side of his cowl. Mulder was about to whisper a question when he heard it.

From the other side of the door came a sound like tearing metal, accompanied by a low, unearthly growl. Mulder had heard a growl like that once before, not too long ago. In the Antarctic. Deep below the ground in a secret installation he had penetrated to rescue Scully. His heart started racing. "We have to get in there," he said.

Batman nodded. He moved over to the door, examined the frame. "Metal door, metal frame. Security's getting better." He took several small objects from his belt, attached them to the doorknob and both sets of hinges. "Get back down the corridor. Get outside. And be ready to get back in quick when this goes."

Mulder raced down the corridor, back into the cool night air. Batman was right behind him. "Okay," Batman said, touching something on his belt. A huge explosion rocked the building. Smoke billowed out through the door they had just run through. Batman might not like guns, but he was hell with explosives. "Let's go," Batman shouted, grabbing Mulder's sleeve, leading him at a run down the corridor. He was blinded by the smoke and stumbled a couple of times, but the Batman pulled him along.

Once they were through the second doorway, the smoke had cleared away. Mulder glanced around him, pistol at the ready. In a couple of seconds, he took in a bizarre tableau.

They were in some kind of a makeshift laboratory. Some of the equipment looked vaguely familiar, like the stuff he had seen in the Antarctic installation. His attention was drawn to the middle of the room, where the Joker, outfitted in a lab coat, was jumping up and down, clapping his hands like an overjoyed child. To the Joker's left Mulder saw one of the transparent "coffins" he had come to know and loathe. The box had apparently been ripped open from the inside, no doubt by the thing which stood next to it, moving its oversized head from side to side. He leveled his pistol at the thing. But the creature wasn't moving. It stood in place, trembling slightly, growling in a manner that was more pitiful than threatening.

And then it started to laugh.

Mulder, somewhat dazed, suddenly remembered his partner.

"Scully!" he shouted.

"She's over here," came the Batman's voice. Mulder glanced quickly to his side, still holding his gun on the creature. Scully was tied into a chair, which had toppled over on its side. She appeared to be unconscious. Batman bent over her, touching her face and wrist. "She'll be okay. She's just been knocked out." He stood and turned to face the Joker.

"Joker! What is going on here?"

The Joker turned his head to smile at his old nemesis. "Why, Batman. I'm so glad you could be here for this joyous occasion! I've just become a father! Hahahahahahahahaha! Meet Junior-- the monster formerly known as Eddie Nigma!"

Batman and Mulder looked at the thing. It was about six feet tall and hairless. Its pale skin was mottled with dark blotches and covered in a translucent, slimy substance. It didn't look quite like the things Mulder had encountered in the Antarctic. It retained a more human shape. The face was even recognizable as that of Edward Nigma. Almost. The eyes were solid black, and the mouth...

The mouth seemed to stretch from ear to ear in a hideous grin that was a slightly more awful duplicate of the Joker's. The creature swayed from side to side, laughing uncontrollably, its voice raw and terrible. It managed to stop laughing, holding its sides with its misshapen hands, trembling and swaying.

Then it spoke.

"Bat...man?" The voice was no more than a croak, brittle and
painful to hear.

"Nigma?" Batman said sharply. "Is that you?"

The creature looked down at its twisted body, its mouth twitching, the occasional giggle slipping out.

"I..hahaha... think it..hahaha...USED to be..hahahahHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!"

Batman approached the thing cautiously. "Mulder," he said. "Cover the Joker. DON'T let him get away. Not this time." Mulder moved his arm to comply. The Joker waved at him. "Hello there! You must be Dana's friend."

"Shut up, freak," Mulder growled.

"You FBI people certainly don't have much in the way of manners. Why, I..."

A soft groan and a rusting sound came from a spot a couple feet behind the Joker. A man, who had been lying on the floor, pulled himself slowly to his feet. It was a man Mulder recognized. The Cancer Man.

"So you ARE involved in this," Mulder said.

The man looked sharply in Mulder's direction. He wiped a little blood away from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Mulder," he said calmly, "what are you..." Then he saw the creature. It was still laughing, holding itself. Batman was approaching slowly and carefully. He turned to the Joker.

"What is this?" he shouted. "What have you done?"

"Wellll," the Joker said, placing an index finger against his chin. "I thought about doing like you said, cooking up a potion to kill those things? But then I thought, wouldn't it be a lot more fun if I could sort of... alter them. Make them a little more like ME! So I modified the toxin I was working on, tossed in a dash of my handy Joker Venom, and voila..." He indicated the creature with a sweep of his hand.

"The Laughing Extraterrestrial!"

"You god damned bastard," said the Cancer Man in a low, dangerous voice. He took a pistol from his jacket and pointed it at the Joker. "Why? You know what's at stake here! WHY did you do this?"

The Joker gave him a blank look. "Why...just for jolly. Wouldn't you?"

"This is it for you, freak," said the Cancer Man, moving his gun into position for a killing shot.

"BOTH of you keep still," Mulder shouted, moving his gun back and forth to cover both men.

"Don't make a move, Smokey. I'd just as soon shoot you as look at you, and you know that. Give me an excuse and see what happens."

The other man lowered his arm, but did not drop the pistol. The Joker laughed softly, his eyes blissfully closed.

Meanwhile, the Batman had reached the creature that had once been Eddie Nigma. He stood two feet in front of the thing and spoke.

"Nigma. Eddie. How do you feel?"

"Well...hahahaha... I've felt.....hahahaha... better....

"I'm...hahahaha... having trouble thinking...."

"We'll get you some help. Can you control yourself?"

"I...hahahaha... don't think I can...hahahaha... oh, God, I know
what I ...hahahahaAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! KILL YOU!!! KILL YOU!!!"

The thing gave a tremendous roar and leapt at the Batman, who dropped into a crouch and sent the thing sailing over his head, to crash into a bank of machinery on the opposite wall. The monster laughed and laughed as it pulled itself upright and moved its head around until it located its foe.

"HAHAHAHAHA!!! KILL!!! KILL!!! HAHAHAHA!!!!" It jumped at the Batman again, clawed hands held out in front of it. It dived straight at him, laughing and slobbering.
This time Batman jumped over the thing. It slid across the floor and smacked into the wall. Batman hit the ground and twirled around to face the monster. He grabbed something from his belt.

"Did I mention," the Joker remarked matter-of-factly, "that I put in a dash of a certain hormonal concoction of mine that produces homicidal rage? Ooops! A great chef never reveals his secret ingredient..."

"SHUT UP!" said Mulder and the Cancer Man in unison.

The monster was on its feet again, moving from side to side, seeking on opportunity to jump the Batman once more. For a second, Mulder thought Batman was pointing a pistol at the thing. But the device in Batman's hands looked more like a small harpoon gun. Batman jerked a trigger on the device, it kicked sharply and gave a loud, metallic twanging sound. What appeared to be a large coiled spring snapped out, wrapping itself tightly around the erstwhile Riddler. The creature fell to the floor, struggling against the coils of metal that bound it, but could not free itself. It laughed and screamed and threatened.

"HHAHAHAHAHA!!! KILL YOU, KILL YOU, KILL YOU!!! HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"

Batman walked calmly over to the thrashing monster and applied what appeared to be a vaccination gun to its shoulder. There was a hissing noise and the creature eventually fell silent.

"Animal tranquilizer," Batman explained. "Enough to put down an elephant. A small elephant. I hope it wasn't too much." He knelt down beside the thing. "It's... HE'S still breathing." Batman touched Eddie's neck. "Pulse is very high, but steady." He stood up and turned to face the Joker. His mouth was a grim line. The white eye-slits narrowed. His body language broadcast his barely-controlled rage.

"This time you've outdone yourself," he said in a tone which made the hair stand up on the back of Mulder's neck. THIS was the Batman of legend, the frightening Dark Knight of Gotham City. Mulder decided he would not like to find himself at odds with this man.

Batman approached the Joker, who stood nonchalantly, smiling as always. "Well, thanks for the compliment, but I think I could..." The Joker was silenced by the open-handed slap Batman delivered to the side of his head. He almost lost his balance, but righted himself, rubbing the side of his face. A thin trickle of blood leaked from the corner of his grinning mouth.
Mulder divided his attention between the confrontation between Batman and his enemy and the Cancer Man, who stood rooted to the spot, silent, pistol at his side. Mulder kept his gun trained on his old nemesis, now that Batman had the Joker in hand.

Batman had grabbed the Joker by the lapels of his lab coat and pulled the clown's face to within a couple inches of his own. "Is there any way to reverse what you've done to him?"

The Joker squinted, pretending to search his memory. "Wellll.... Maybe, maybe not. There IS an antidote to my Joker Venom. You know that.

I'll bet you've got some in that darling little belt of yours. And there IS an antidote to the Black Virus. Ask Smokey about that-- of course that stuff only works if the process isn't too far along. But maybe my little... treatment arrested the mutation process in poor Eddie's system to where a combination of the two could return him to... normal. If you can call him normal. Now, the rage thing, that's another story... assuming we clear all the other little bugs out of his system, he's still gonna be one mighty pissed-off fellow, for a good long while."

Batman stared at his old enemy for several seconds. Then he hit him again, twirled him around and cuffed his hands behind him. He knocked the Joker to the floor with a short kick to the chest. "Stay there," Batman said dryly.

"Rodney King! Rodney King!" the Joker squawked. "Where is a concerned citizen with a camcorder when you need one? I ASK you!"

Batman had indeed brought along a supply of Joker Venom antidote, and he gave Eddie a shot of it. He examined the creature's face. The jaw muscles did seem to be relaxing a bit. That was something.

Batman stood and approached the Cancer Man.

"You," he said. "I don't know who you are and I don't care. Drop that gun. Now." To Mulder's surprise, the Cancer Man did as he was told.

He had never seen anyone intimidate the man until now.

"You've been working with him," Batman continued, his face inches from the Cancer Man's. "That makes you scum. You're going to go down. But first, you're going to tell me about this Black Virus antidote. Is there such a thing?"

Cancer Man nodded.

"Where is it? Is there any here?"

The other man pointed to one of the lab tables. "It's in the blue tube there. The Joker was right. it should work if the virus has not yet mutated. I don't think..."

But Batman was no longer listening. He had moved over to the table and picked up the tube. He looked back at the Cancer Man.

"This better work. If you're lying to me..."

"No, I swear," the other man said. Mulder was puzzled. The man was acting...odd. He didn't seem to be afraid. Mulder knew that this man seemed to be virtually fearless. But the Batman was producing some kind of weird emotional response. It seemed as though... Mulder considered it for a moment. Yes, it seemed as though the Cancer Man desperately wanted the Batman's respect. That was something to think about...

Batman filled a hypodermic from the tube and gave Eddie a shot of the antidote. "The reaction won't be immediate," Cancer Man piped up, like a school kid shouting out an answer in class, seeking favor from a teacher. "Give it a few hours. Then we'll know something."

Batman paid him no attention. He moved to the Joker, pulled the clown to his feet and held him by his lab coat.

Mulder had moved a little closer to the Cancer Man, still covering him with his pistol. "What's going on here?" he demanded. "I want some answers from you, you son of a bitch."

"Agent Mulder, I know you have no reason to trust me..."

"THAT'S an understatement."

"You wouldn't believe me, I suppose, if I told you I was doing what I think is right?"

"That's what Hitler said."

The other man sighed. "Do you mind if I have a cigarette?"

"Yes, I do," Mulder said. "You're not going to move."

"Now," Batman said coldly, "suppose you tell me some things. Who are you? We know you aren't the Red Hood. We found what was left of him."

"Do tell?" the Joker replied. "Why, I never thought you bought that silly story in the first place. You disappoint me, Bats. That idiot was just a hired hand, a dupe I used to obtain some chemicals I needed. TRY to obtain. He screwed it up royally... with some help from you. At the time, I was still working on my... new look."

"You did this to yourself? Deliberately?"

"Sure! You don't get a masterpiece like me overnight. You idiot, did you fall into a barrel of bat shit one day and climb out with that costume and that belt full of gadgets and that anti-social attitude of yours? Yes, I did it to myself!"

"Why? Why would you turn yourself into... this?"

"Because THIS IS WHAT I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN! Ever since I was BORN! Don't you get it? I always thought YOU of all people might UNDERSTAND!"

Batman shook his head. "I'll never understand..."

There was a low groan from the other side of the room. Agent Scully's voice came, weakly, "Mulder?"

Mulder turned his head for a moment. That was all the opportunity the Cancer Man needed. He swiftly reached into his jacket and produced a second pistol. He took aim and squeezed off four quick shots. Two caught Batman in the chest, the other two hit the Joker.

Both of them went down.

Mulder whirled and fired, but missed. The Cancer Man had sprinted away into the gloom of a narrow corridor. Mulder wasn't sure, but he thought he had heard the man say, "I'm sorry," before he was gone.

For half a second, Mulder stood, torn between his desire to try to catch his old enemy and the need to check on Scully and Batman. But there was really no choice. He went first to the Batman, who was already stirring. Mulder saw two dark streaks on the front of the black costume, but no holes.

"You're okay?" he said, helping Batman to his feet.

"Yes," Batman said, taking deep breaths. "I'm pretty well armored. Knocked the wind out of me, though." He glanced over at the Joker. The clown lay motionless, the front of his white jacket soaked in blood. Batman looked back at Mulder. "Which way did that man go?" Mulder pointed down the corridor. "I'll try to catch him," Batman said. "You take care of Agent Scully... and see if anything can be done for him." He jerked a thumb at the still form of the Joker and was gone.
Mulder looked at the clown. It didn't look good. He didn't appear to be breathing and his eyes were wide open, pupils dilated. The horrible grin was still in place, blood trickling from between the large, yellowed teeth.

He turned his attention to Scully, whose eyes were fluttering open. He quickly cut the ropes that held her to the chair and helped her to her feet.

"Mulder," she said, focusing her eyes on him, smiling. "You made it. How do you like Gotham City?"

He said nothing, just hugged her tightly for a moment. She returned the hug, then stepped back. They looked each other up and down.

For a second or two there was an uncomfortable silence.

"So, what happened?" she asked. "The Cancer Man was here. The Joker did something to Eddie Nigma... something happened to that chamber he was in... then there was an explosion. I guess it knocked me out."

"I'm not sure what happened myself, Scully," he replied. "We'll figure it out later. The police should be here soon." He led her over to the thing that had been Eddie Nigma. Eddie was looking a bit more human, actually. His skin tone was better and the black blotches seemed to be fading. "Well," said Mulder. "He might come out of this okay." He stood up. "But I don't think we'll have to worry about the Joker any more."

Scully went over and knelt by the prone figure of the clown, performing a rapid examination. Mulder stood behind her. "If anything good has come of this, at least the world is rid of ONE monster."

Scully looked up at him, her eyes wide. "Not so fast, Mulder."

She looked back at the Joker, then to Mulder again. "This man is alive. And he's going to live."
They stared at each other for a few seconds, until their attention was drawn by the sound of approaching sirens.




EPILOGUE:
THREE MONTHS LATER
WASHINGTON D.C. 12:42 p.m.

Fox Mulder sat in the hallway outside the hearing room. Scully was inside, testifying before a Justice Department panel. Again. Mulder had the feeling they were going to pull the plug on the X-Files. Again.

He sat fidgeting on the hard bench, then he stood up and paced around in the hallway. What was taking so long? What was going on in there? His cellular phone chirped from inside his jacket pocket.

"Mulder here."

"Agent Mulder. How are things going?"

For a moment, Mulder didn't recognize the voice. He was about to ask for identification when it dawned on him.

"You! I... wasn't expecting to hear from you. How did you get my number?"
Silence from the other end. Then, "Anything I say might tend to incriminate me..."

"Well, I'm glad to see you still have your budding sense of humor." He sighed. "As for how things are going, not so hot. I think the X-Files are about to be shut down. But it's happened before. Anyhow, we're still having trouble with our...friend you met a few months ago."

"The one that got away. I'm sorry I couldn't catch him."

"Don't be. He may not look like much, but he's slippery. What about YOUR friend?"

"He's still in the hospital. At Blackgate this time instead of Arkham. He's recovering slowly. He should be dead, but... He's always had a way of bouncing back from what seemed like certain death..."

"I know the type."

"Yes. Of course, we didn't get anything useful out of the storage facility. I guess you heard what happened. About an hour after the police took you, Scully and Nigma out, the place went up. He'd had it rigged-- basement full of explosives. Four cops died. Four more marks on the Joker's scoreboard."

"And the Cancer Man's. They both have a lot to answer for."

"Yes. I hope, someday, they will have to. As for Nigma, he's slowly returning to normal, physically. But whatever the Joker gave him has done a real number on his mind. He's currently under heavy sedation and restraint at Arkham. The doctors don't know if he'll ever pull out of it. So. How is Agent Scully?"

"She's fine. You never got to meet her, did you?"

"Ah... no. No, I didn't."

Mulder chuckled. "She doesn't believe in you, you know. You're an 'urban legend.' She says that you are 'totally improbable, unlikely and impossible.'"

A brief chuckle came through the phone. "Maybe she's right. Well, you take care of her, Agent Mulder. She's a very special... agent."

"Yes. Yes, she is. But how do you..." Mulder realized he was talking to himself. The other party had cut the connection. He shrugged, folded up his phone and stuck it back into his pocket.
At that moment, Scully emerged from the hearing room. She looked as downbeat as Mulder had ever seen her.

"They've shut us down again, Mulder," she said shortly.

Mulder nodded. "Not too unexpected. Cheer up. It's happened before. Why, I was just saying to Batman..."

Scully gave him a look and a crooked half-smile. "Batman? Nice try, Mulder, but it'll take more than lame jokes to cheer me up today."

"He asked about you."

"Very nice. I'm flattered. Did you happen to talk to the Easter Bunny today, too?"

"No. But Santa Claus sends his regards."

"You're really something, Mulder."

"So are you, Scully."

They walked down the corridor together in silence.

THE END