The Crippling Joke

Author: B Scribe
Time to Read:23min
Views:0 (All Time)
Added Date:10/19/2023
Tags: JokerBatgirl

Batgirl and Batman were created and are copyrighted by and are the property of DC Comics. This story was written solely by me and no compensation has been or will be received by me for this story. This story was written for purely entertainment purposes only and cannot be redistributed for profit. Batgirl instinctively knew that this was it that the end had come. The raw feeling in the pit of her stomach told her that her luck had finally run out. It wasn't the same feeling that she had with all of her past razor thin by the skin of her teeth escapes from so many hideous death traps. From the dry taste in her mouth the Caped Crusadress was suddenly certain that in a few moments she would die in a dark and gloomy room. Death would come from the crazed figure not five feet away who, gleefully chuckled at the Masked Maidens totally helpless situation. All Batgirl could do was to try and steel herself for what might come as she watched the .45 caliber Colt six –shooter pointed directly at her stomach.

Green hair, pasty white complexion, red tinged lips where all of the trademarks of a total lunatic. A gaunt but thin stature covered in a dated purple suit and wearing white spats indicated an exhibitionist of the worst type. A thin squeaky voice that constantly shouted child like idioms illustrated a mad desire for attention. The demented demon lived for nothing more than a chance to kill members of the Bat family.

The two figures that faced each other in the darkened fun house could not have been more different. One was good while the other was pure evil. The Seductress in the shiny purple Bat Suit was all that was all that was flawless and beautiful while the comically dressed man was everything hideous and ugly. The forces of darkness and light had finally forced a duel that was a long time in coming. Batgirl and the Joker had finally met.

For all of her crime fighting career Batgirl had never encountered this exceptionally virulent criminal. Due to the Joker's maniacal nature the Caped Crusader Batman had always handled the capture and imprisonment of the Crown Prince of Crime, as he was known in Gotham City. Unfortunately Joker had picked this day to escape from Arkham Asylum with Police Commissioner James Gordon as his hostage. With the Dynamic Duo of Batman and Robin out of town it was now up to the Goddess of Gotham City to deal with the situation. As drool slowly dropped from Joker's lower lip the Dominoed Dare Doll desperately wished she could turn the clock back just one week. Last week the Booted Beauty had freed her bold champion Batman from the clutches of the evil criminal Catwoman who had attempted to enslave the Caped Crusader by the use of powerful drugs. Batgirl had outwitted Catwoman by the use of Super Bat Antidote pills, which negated the effects of the drugs used by the Princess of Plunder.

After Catwoman's arrest the two caped crime fighters returned to the Batcave. Batgirl fondly pictured in her mind the intimate diner she shared with Batman. She recalled Batman's gratitude for the rescue from Catwoman's plan to make him a " Love Slave." The Bat Beauty then recalled the rest of the evening as she and Batman locked in each other's embrace had slow danced till dawn. They had not gone to the Bat Boudoir as neither wished to part from the other for a second during such a magical moment.

With the special thoughts still in her mind Batgirl suddenly scolded herself and returned to the present. In her current perilous situation she could ill afford to daydream about the encounter even if it was with the man she adored. One more slip or one more break in her concentration could spell disaster. As long as she totally focused on the madman five feet in front of her she had a chance.

The Joker casually inspected his beautiful but uninvited guest before declaring,

" So you're the female bat. They sent you instead of Bats? " Batgirl coolly replied,

" Batman is out of town but I can handle the situation. " Joker declared,

" Well aren't we the cool one! But I suppose that Bat's trained you that way." Batgirl irritated replied,

" Look Joker, what do you want? " Eyes bulging in anger Joker exploded,

" You know what I want Bitch! I want Bats! We have issues to settle." Batgirl declared,

" I told you he isn't here in Gotham City." Joker suddenly became calm and answered,

" All right then you will have to do. One bat is as good as another!" Just as Batgirl watched the trigger finger tighten her mind flashed back to the events of this morning.

Barbara Gordon was hard at work at the Human Research and Development Center a well-known think tank in Gotham City. It was late morning when she had just completed a review of several reports when her young administrative assistant Helen Brown suddenly entered her office in a highly agitated state.

" Barbara something awful has happened. It is on the news. The Joker has just escaped from Arkham Asylum and he has your father as his hostage." Stunned Barbara replied,

" Oh my god! Helen cancel everything for the rest of the day. I have to go to Police Headquarters."

As Barbara Gordon raced from her building toward Police Headquarters many thoughts flew through her mind. She resisted the temptation to return to her apartment and change into her Batgirl costume. Barbara felt it was better to first show up as a concerned daughter rather than the caped crime fighter. The only problem was that Chief O'Hara probably was not going to give her much information and would tell her to go home and await developments. Still this was not a problem because when things died down Batgirl would contact all of her operatives in the department.

The news was grim when Barbara entered the Chief O'Hara's office. Her father had accompanied Mayor Lindseed on the monthly city inspection of the facility. Somehow three revolvers had been smuggled into the asylum. When the tour arrived in his block the Joker asked to speak to the Mayor. As Mayor Lindseed approached his cell he pulled a pistol taking the Mayor hostage. The Joker demanded that he and two other prisoners be immediately released from their cells. The Arkham staff immediately complied with Jokers demands.

Now free from confinement Joker and his two confederates prepared to leave the asylum. Originally they had planned to take both the Mayor and the Commissioner as their hostages. It soon became clear however that escape with two captives was more difficult than escape with one. Joker's intense hatred of the Gotham City Police made Commissioner Gordon the obvious choice as the prisoner. The three criminals and their captive then fled in a panel truck waiting outside the gates of the facility.

After hearing the account of Joker's escape Barbara was devastated to learn that Batman the crime fighter best capable of dealing with the Joker was out of town with Robin. The Chief was in a near panic in his desire to speak with the Dynamic Dare Doll Batgirl about the escape. With little more to be learned from the police Barbara excused herself and returned home to her apartment.

Once she arrived home Barbara immediately called Chief O'Hara on her Batgirl cell phone to offer her assistance in the matter. The Chief was most grateful for Batgirl's help but could offer little more information than what Babs had already gathered. They both agreed to stay in touch in case of new developments that occurred.

With the call completed Barbara depressed the switch on her vanity, which activated the wall to her Bat Lair. As the back wall revolved she began to remove her street clothes to begin the tantalizing transformation to the Shimmering Seductress Batgirl. Babs first selected her underwear, which was a purple satin bra and thong. Barbara loved the feel of satin and quickly slipped the bra over her large well formed breasts and then pulled up the satin thong.

Next she stepped into the sensuous and shimmering purple Bat Suit, which fit her perfect body like a second skin. Babs slid on her dazzling purple Bat Boots followed by the golden utility belt. The last item was the lustrous purple and gold Bat Cape. The only items remaining where the shiny satin Bat cowl and gleaming Bat gloves which the Daring Damsel did not normally wear when working at home.

Again Batgirl's consciousness snapped back to the present as the leering eyes of the white- faced lunatic now focused on the Glittering Goddess. Joker inquired,

" I am told that you are easy to intimidate. Is that true?" Batgirl shot back,

" You must have heard that from Catwoman. When I take you back to Arkham I suggest you ask her that question again. " Joker raised his eyebrows and replied,

" You seem very cool as well as very tough. Did Bats teach you all about me?" The caped crime fighter answered,

" As matter of fact he did. Everything I need to know!" Batgirl once again slipped into the past as she recalled a stern lecture Batman had given her on the Crown Prince of Crime. The Caped Crusader began,

" Joker is by far the most dangerous criminal you will ever face. Besides being maniacal he is also a supreme egotist and narcissist. There isn't a building in the world large enough to hold his ego." Batgirl inquired,

" What else Batman?" The Cowled Crime Fighter continued,

" Never believe anything he tells you. It is all lies designed to get you to drop your guard and become careless. Another thing is don't ever take your eyes off of him. You want to see everything but see nothing. I know that doesn't make sense but it is true." Batgirl looked longingly at her champion and replied,

" I think I know what you are talking about Batman. You want to observe him but you don't want to concentrate on any specific detail. " Batman replied,

" An excellent analogy Batgirl. " In an instant Batgirl was again in the present. The Joker now looked confused and unsure of himself. Batgirl began to tense, as she believed it was a deliberate act designed to confuse her. The Masked Maid inquired,

" Joker are you all right? " The psychopath smiled wickedly and exclaimed,

" No nothing is wrong. Just seeing if you were paying attention." Batgirl sighed and thought to herself, " Great now I have to play mind games with this guy." Joker continued,

" You seem very resourceful Bat Bitch. How did you find me so fast? Once more the Bat Beauty was back in the past.

After changing into her crime- fighting persona Batgirl spent the afternoon using her fabulous computer skills to ferret out the Joker's hiding place. After checking and cross checking all of Joker's past known hideouts and liars she assembled a long list of potential places to check. More skillful cyber work on her computer reduced the list to a manageable number. A final data run employing several variables further reduced the list to ten possible locations.

The Caped Crusadress pulled the dazzling satin cowl down over her fabulous red tresses and insured the cowl strap was securely fastened. Batgirl then slipped on the glistening satin gloves before she headed to the elevator, which contained the Batgirl cycle. Once on the street level the secret door opened and the purple Ninja cycle blasted into the night.

The Bold Beauty diligently checked the first six locations but there was no sign of the mad psychopath. Before moving on to the next location Batgirl reexamined the list. By use of her feminine intuition the Dynamic Damsel decided to play a hunch. A run down and deserted amusement park seemed the perfect place to hide and probably torture her father James Gordon.

On this day the greatest concern for the Shimmering Seductress was for her father James Gordon. As much she adored the Cape Crusader Batman the feeling the Bat Beauty had for her father was even stronger. Since her return from Washington Batgirl had tried very hard not to let her emotions cloud her judgment and so far she had been very successful. Now with her father involved in this latest affair this would probably be Batgirl's greatest challenge. Again she bounced back to the present. Batgirl replied smilingly,

" Oh you weren't hard to find Joker. A couple of hours on my computer and I came up with ten possible locations. This place was number eight on the list." Joker smirked,

" A bat with highly developed computer skills, now that is an extreme danger! " Batgirl again tensed up until she realized it was more of Joker's mind games. Again she inquired,

" What do you really want Joker? " In a childlike rant Joker shouted,

" I already told you I want bats! But since I can't have what I desire perhaps I should settle for the death of the female bat? Lord knows you deserve it after what you did to my associates Stone and Yarrow." Batgirl shot back,

" After what they did to Commissioner Gordon? They had it coming." Batgirl again flashes back to the past only this time it was just sixty minutes ago.

When Batgirl arrived at the amusement park it was a gloomy and misty evening. She put her Batgirl cycle in quiet mode and rolled to a stop. As the Caped Crusadress concealed her machine she was somewhat unnerved by the stillness and the long deep shadows cast by the various rides and attractions. She was certain that this was the place where her father was being held hostage.

The Booted Beauty moved silently across the grounds of the park searching for signs of recent occupation. As she approached the powerhouse the Cowled Crime Fighter began to hear voices coming from the dimly lit building. The Caped Cutie slipped up to a side window and peered into the structure. Two obvious thugs were seated at a table engaged in a game of cards. Batgirl noticed one of the roughs kept glancing to his left. The object of his attention was a large animal crate and inside the cage sat her father James Gordon. In an effort to humiliate the Police Commissioner they removed his cloths leaving him to shiver in just his underwear.

While Joker the Crown Prince of Crime was not present Batgirl decided the best course of action was to take out the two pugs and free her father. With the Commissioner free he could call for assistance while she searched for the Joker. Once the police surrounded the amusement park the Joker's chance of escape was nil.

The Masked Marvel slipped through the door and approached unseen until she was ten feet away from the card players. In her patented power stance she announced,

" Well boys are we having fun yet?" The two thugs with startled looks shouted in unison,

" Batgirl!" The Temptress curtsied and replied " At your service!" The nearest thug jumped up from the table and charged the Dynamic Dare Doll. The fierce rush ended as a dazzling purple Bat Boot from a showgirl kick slammed into his crouch. As the crook grabbed his manhood a left hook and a hard right cross-impacted into his face and he dropped to the floor.

The second crook a large man assumed a boxing stance and fired several jabs at the Enchantress all of which missed. Batgirl responded with a savate kick that exploded into his jaw. With her opponent now stunned Batgirl delivered several savage kicks from her Bat Boots to the man's midsection forcing him to his knees. Batgirl then proceeded to land punch after punch to crook's face in an effort disable him.

But the thug slowly rose to his full height. Batgirl then whirled and slammed the side of a dazzling boot into his head. The hood crashed to the floor like a bag of wet sand. With both men down Batgirl assumed the fight was now over until a warning came from her father,

" Batgirl, look out!" The Gloved Goddess turned to see the first thug swing a fire axe at her midsection. Acting on instinct Batgirl dropped to her knees as axe passed overhead. She then slammed her powerful legs in a leg whip against his and the crook dropped to the floor.

With her opponent still conscious the Curved Crime Fighter grabbed him by his belt and shirt collar. She dragged him to his feet and then threw him face first into a concrete wall. The Dominoed Dare Doll then repeated the process. She was ready to fling the now unconscious hood a fourth time when her father intervened,

" Barbara, that's enough! " The Shiny Seductress then dropped her foe whose face now looked like hamburger to the floor. Batgirl shot back, " Dad, look what they did to you! " Jim Gordon replied, " That doesn't matter!" Batgirl used a lock pick from her utility belt to free her dad and then helped him back into his clothes. Delighted that her father was now free the Caped Cutie hugged him fiercely,

" Dad, are you all right? " Grateful for his daughter's help Jim Gordon replied,

" Yes, Barbara I'm fine! Look we have to get out of here now before that mad man returns here." Batgirl pulled her cell phone form her utility belt and declared,

" Here Dad take this. Get clear from here and call for help. Joker is my responsibility." Jim Gordon protested,

" Barbara you can't stay. Joker is much to dangerous to take alone! " Batgirl exclaimed,

" Dad, I have too! If I run away he will only take someone else as a hostage and we will be back where we started. Besides if you surround this place maybe he might give up."

Not being a fool big Jim Gordon immediately saw the logic of his daughter's powerful argument. She was right and he knew it. If they didn't stop the Joker here they would only have to do it some other time and place. The Commissioner sadly replied,

" Your right as usual Barbara. But please be careful!" Kissing her father's cheek Batgirl exclaimed,

" I will Daddy" The Commissioner then quickly left the powerhouse and the park in a desperate bid to quickly summon help for his daughter the Dynamic Damsel Batgirl.

The green hair and pasty white face appeared as Batgirl once again returned to the present. Joker then shouted

" I don't care what they did to Gordon. It isn't nice to turn a man's face into a piece of raw meat! Batgirl coolly declared,

" Like I said they had it coming."

Their now descended a thirty- second pause where nothing was said. During this period of silence Batgirl noticed that Joker appeared to be mentally undressing her. She now became determined to play her own head games on Joker using her formidable feminine charms. Batgirl broke the silence,

" Like what you see Joker?" The madman smiled and raised his eyebrows before he replied,

" Your extremely attractive my dear, to bad you dress as a bat."

Batgirl seeing she was having an effect on the demented demon turned slightly to her right. With her left hand she grabbed the edge of her Bat Cape and pulled it up. Now completely exposed for the Joker to see was her dazzling derriere. Batgirl started a slow bump and grind so that the little light present would make her fabulous Bat Butt shimmer and shine. Joker while impressed verbally disparaged the show,

" That's not going to work on me Bat Bitch." The Seductress wickedly exclaimed,

" Did you lose your supply of viagra Joker? " The right hand tightened on the pistol as Joker relied,

" It is not very smart for person in your position Bat Bitch to taunt their betters. Someone might get mad!" For the final time Batgirl moved back to the past this time just ten minutes ago.

As soon as her father left the powerhouse Batgirl began her search for the maniacal madman. The Dominoed Dare Doll diligently searched the ticket booth, carousel, and the roller coaster. She had just finished with checking the Midway when all of the lights in the park went out. Batgirl reasoned that the only explanation was that Joker had gone to the powerhouse to check on his captive and found his two underlings unconscious. Now aware he was being hunted the Crown Prince of Crime obviously killed the power to make his detection more difficult.

The Booted Beauty continued her search for several minutes before she stopped in front of a large structure. It was the Fun House where children once enjoyed unusual sights and sounds. Aware of Joker's twisted sense of humor and his love of the bizarre Batgirl soon realized the only logical place to find the lunatic she sought was the Fun House. The Bat Beauty was also aware that this was the most dangerous place in the entire park. It had mirrors, which distorted the size and shape of things. It was filled with strange vistas and noises. There were hidden doors and passages where the mad lunatic could hide or ambush her. As Batgirl stared at the dilapidated building knots formed in her stomach.

Batgirl slipped in the front of building as quietly as possible. She stopped just inside the door to let her eyes grow accustomed to the low level of light. After five minutes she silently began to slowly follow the white arrows painted on the floor.

The Masked Maid had considered using her Bat Light to conduct the search but rejected the idea, as it would give her position away. The Joker was going to have to operate in the same conditions that she did.

The Caped Crusadress quietly traversed the hall of mirrors. She then entered what appeared to be a large but empty circular room. As the Temptress slowly moved forward a dark form appeared in the middle of it. With her heart pounding Batgirl cautiously approached. As she reached about ten feet from the dark image there was a snide laugh as the figure turned toward her and she heard the distinctive click of a pistol being cocked. There before her was a hideous pasty white face of the Joker holding a Colt six shooter.

Batgirl was caught and she knew it. She was in a large room with no cover and gun pointed at her ten feet away. She had stupidly neglected to pull out a Batrang from her utility belt when she had entered the room and the chance was now gone. The Goddess of Gotham knew that given the distance between her and Joker her only chance was to try and dodge the bullet when the revolver fired.

The advantage of distance quickly disappeared as Joker commanded,

" Come closer I want to see what we have." Batgirl figured her odds of successfully dodging a bullet at only twenty percent. She was forced to obey the command.

With a severe jolt Batgirl was once again back in the present. The numerous recalls of today's past events was a tremendous strain on the task of concentrating on the madman in front of her. Thankfully nothing had occurred when her mind had slipped into the recent past.

The latest trip seemed to puzzle her captor as he gave her a suspicious glance. Batgirl tried to defuse the crisis by cheerfully asking,

" I am sorry Joker what did you say? " The fiend appeared mollified as he remarked,

" I said it isn't very smart for a person in your position Bat Bitch to taunt their betters. Someone might get mad!"

The sound of rapidly approaching police cars began to fill the room. This produced a smile on Batgirl's face as she sweetly replied to the psychopath.

" That's very true Joker but I think you should also examine your own position. That sound isn't the Avon Lady calling."

The hideous lunatic waved his revolver and replied,

" As long as I have this I am in control!" Believing she could reason with mad monster Batgirl softly exclaimed,

" Joker, be reasonable it's over. You've lost. The police will be here in five minutes. Be smart give me the gun!" Batgirl had committed a tragic error trying to reason with the Joker as he now became enraged. He shouted,

" I will never surrender to a female bat! " Joker stopped his rant for a moment before he continued,

" No, I won't surrender but you will Bat Bitch! I want to see your face. Now take off that mask! "

After an accidental unmasking a month ago Batgirl seriously examined the criteria under which she would voluntarily unmask herself. If an innocent person was threatened with death if she did not unmask the choice was obvious. But this is where she drew the line. Batgirl swore she would never suffer the total shame and humiliation of being forced to unmask just to save her life. If a villain wanted to see her face they would have to kill her and then remove the shiny Bat Cowl. Batgirl vehemently replied,

" No, I won't unmask! Not for you, not for anybody! If you want to see my face you are going to have kill me!" The Joker in a bored tone declared, " As you wish Bat Bitch!"

The room suddenly exploded into an orange flash, which blinded the Bat Beauty as a heavy blow to her groin drove her to the floor. After being momentarily stunned the Caped Crusadress found herself on her back. In almost total darkness she tore off her right Bat Glove and began to search for wetness around her groin.

Batgirl was puzzled to find no blood. Joker could not have missed at that close range she thought. Her hand then fell on the buckle of her gleaming gold utility belt and was instantly burned. The Booted Beauty pulled her Bat Light from her belt and inspected the buckle. There in the center of the black bat logo was a round indentation. The quarter inch thick brass and steel buckle had saved Batgirl's life by deflecting the bullet.

As her mind cleared Batgirl was suddenly concerned with the whereabouts of her maniacal opponent, as he was no longer standing in front of her. As the Daring Damsel got to her feet she heard a low groan. She pointed her Bat Light in the direction of the sound and was amazed to see the psychopath-sitting upright with both hands holding his abdomen. A pool of blood had formed in front of him as he groaned in agony.

It was the ultimate twist of fate. The Joker had intended to kill Batgirl but had been struck instead by the bullet he fired after it had been deflected by the buckle of her utility belt. The loathsome lunatic had been hoisted on his own petard. Batgirl thought to herself,

" Who says there isn't justice?"

The Caped Crusadress knelt down to render aid to the maniac. As she pulled his hands away to examine the wound he screamed at her, " Get away you Bitch! See what you have done to me, get away!"

Batgirl ignored his words and removed a pair of Bat Cuffs from her belt and secured the Jokers hands behind his back. The Dominoed Dare Doll believed the best way to provide assistance was to place Joker on his back. As she attempted to put him in a reclined position he began to scream again,

" My legs, Oh God my legs! I can't feel anything in my legs. What have you done! I am a cripple thanks to you. Oh God no! " Joker began to sob heavily

After finally getting her patient to rest on his back Batgirl tore open the orange vest and purple shirt to expose the injury. The two hundred and forty gain soft lead slug deflected by her belt buckle had entered his body just to the left of his belly button. From the large amount of blood lost and the lack of feeling in his legs it was obvious the bullet had torn through his intestinal cavity and smashed into his spine. If Joker was live in order to answer for his latest crimes the Masked Maid had to stop the bleeding.

Batgirl pulled a compression bandage from her utility belt and forced into the wound hoping it would slow the loss of blood. The Booted Beauty knew however that Joker required immediate medical help. Again reaching into the golden belt she removed her emergency Bat Radio tuned to the police frequencies. She then broadcast,

" This is Batgirl. I am in the Fun House with the Joker who has been shot. I need an EMT now!"

Now fully aware of the dire crisis he faced the madman began to plead with the Goddess of Gotham City. In a low voice he whispered.

" Batgirl please let me die. I can't stand the thought of being a cripple. Please let me die!" Batgirl replied,

" No Joker, I am not going to let you die. This were we differ. You are in to death and I am in to life. I am going to do everything I can to make sure you live so you can pay for all of the unspeakable crimes you have committed." The Joker raged at the Bat Beauty,

" You do gooders are all alike! You want to make sure society gets its revenge! You have no pity or compassion just hatred for people who break the law." Batgirl laughed,

" That's good Joker! You of all people extolling pity and compassion. How much pity did you show Commissioner Gordon today?" The Joker again exploded into rage,

" That lousy cop got what he deserved and should have gotten more. " Batgirl exclaimed

" It is always about you Joker! How selfish can you be?" Still filled with hate Joker spat,

" Yes dam it, it is about me! I am the only one with brains and intelligence the rest of you are sheep. Now let me die!" Batgirl shook her head as she suddenly heard the loud pounding of feet indicating that medical help finally had arrived. She then observed,

" Batman was right. There isn't a building in the world big enough to hold your ego."

Six weeks later the Bat Beauty found herself in Gotham District Court. She was there to offer testimony in the matter of Jokers latest criminal acts. These being his escape form Arkham Asylum, the kidnapping of Police Commissioner Gordon and her attempted murder. All were serious charges.

Life had not improved much for the Crown Prince of Crime. Due to Batgirl's quick action Jokers internal bleeding had been stopped thus saving his life. Unfortunately the deflected bullet had severed his spine. This resulted in paralysis from the waist down and dooming the Joker to a wheelchair for the rest of his life.

Due to her life saving action and her refusal to let him die the Joker developed an extremely virulent hatred of Batgirl. It was bad enough that the bitch had saved his life but by doing so she sentenced him to life as an invalid. The lunatic's hatred of the Masked Maid was now even greater than the one reserved for the Caped Crusader Batman. The Joker now swore eternal revenge against the Goddess of Gotham City.

All during her testimony the Joker constantly screamed threats and insults at the Dynamic Damsel. Batgirl tried her best to ignore the numerous interruptions. Joker seeing his words had no effect on the Enchantress became extremely agitated. Finally in complete desperation Joker screamed,

" I am going to kill you Bitch! " Batgirl contemptuously replied " Joker, Drop dead!"

The judge ordered the immediate removal of the Joker from the courtroom in order for Batgirl to finish her testimony. As his wheelchair was rolled from the room the Joker continued to scream obscenities at the Gloved Goddess. The Caped Cutie was saddened by Joker's present condition but did not forget for a moment that had it not been by a quirk of fate that Barbara Gordon would be sitting in that wheelchair.

That evening the shimmering seductress in the purple Bat Suit nervously waited for her champion at their normal rendezvous atop the Gotham National Bank building. Earlier Batgirl had passed the word to her friend and confidant Alfred Pennyworth that is was imperative that she meet with Batman. While again looking over the city the Bold Beauty again heard the soft rustle of a satin cape. The Cowled Cutie turns to see Batman quietly land on the structure. Batman on seeing his Tantalizing Temptress smiled broadly as he quickly approached, took her in his arms and exclaimed,

" Good evening Batgirl, I got your message. How can I help you my love?" Batman then attempted to kiss the Gloved Goddess but she rebuffed him and replied,

" Please not now, maybe after we talk! " Looking concerned Batman inquired,

" What is wrong my darling?" Batgirl looked confused began to pace and then declared,

" It's the Joker Affair! I am all confused. " Batman answered,

" You handled it very well. I doubt if I could have done any better. " Batgirl shot back,

" You would have done a lot better! I was awful and I don't deserve to be here." Batman startled by Batgirl's self criticism inquired, " How so?" Batgirl exclaimed,

" Well you would not have walked into a totally darkened room without a Batrang in your hand and let the Joker get the drop on you." Batman nodded and replied,

" That's true Batgirl but it is a mistake I know you won't make again! What else? " The Booted Beauty remarked,

" I tried to reason with him and make him give up. All it did was make him more angry!" The Batman smiled and remarked,

" A display of compassion! A mistake when dealing with the Joker but an admirable gesture of humanity. Hardly a deadly sin!" Batgirl now agitated exclaimed,

" All the time he had his gun on me my mind kept flashing back to events that occurred that day. I kept losing concentration when I needed it most and I don't know why?" Batman smiled broadly,

" That's normal Batgirl. In an extremely high stress situations the mind sometimes overloads itself. The flashbacks are a relief mechanism. You think the flashbacks are so long but they are a mere fraction of second. It happens to me all the time."

Batgirl looked extremely relieved at the explanation but Batman was sure there was something else troubling her. He exclaimed, " Is there anything more? Batgirl nodded,

" I was in court this morning." Batman interrupted " An excellent piece of testimony even though that monster tried goad and intimidate you " Batgirl continued,

" Well as they wheeled him out I was struck by the fact that the thing was so close. If that bullet had not struck the buckle on my utility belt I would have probably been sitting in that wheelchair." Now smiling hugely Batman answered,

" Batgirl never question providence! If you do, you will drive yourself insane. I can not count the number of times an odd twist of fate has saved my life. I don't know why or how it happens. Try to look at it as I do. The Almighty with his master plan was just shortening the odds a little." Batman continued on,

" Listen my love no one is perfect. You are going to make mistakes. I know however that you won't make them again. All that matters is the end result. The Joker is back in Arkham, where he belongs. Case closed!"

Batgirl ceased her pacing, smiled broadly and approached her champion. As Batman took her in his arms she whispered, " Thank you Batman!" Batman replied,

" You're welcome. But where is the kiss that I was promised?" Batgirl softly answered

" Right here my love! " The two caped crime fighters then shared another long passionate kiss. As their lips parted Batman inquired as gallantly as possible,

" The night is young my lady! What do you require?" Batgirl smiling wickedly replied,

" I want to go to a place where the lights are low, the music is soft and I can be held by my bold champion until dawn." Batman smiled and inquired " My place or yours?"

Batgirl gleefully answered " Mine"

In a mere instant a Batrope flew from the building and the caped couple rapidly descended to the street. After a short run to the purple Batgirl cycle, the crime fighters mounted the machine and the powerful bike disappeared into the evening.

HOLY CHAPEAU A frustrated Mad Hatter is now after Batgirl's Cowl

A mainstay for any writer is feedback from the readership. I would greatly appreciate any reviews or commentaries on this story. Additionally if you have a story line or an idea for a story that you would like to see written please contact me via E-mail at: batscribe@yahoo.com