No More Games, Not Anymore!

*2 days later*

Ben was standing outside the x-ray room, where Barbra was being checked up again. As much as he has been supportive, he was getting unstable. He still didn't know what happened to Jason, and each time he remembers, the pictures of his parents flashing through his head didn't help either.

He sighed rubbing his temples. He didn't care about sleep as he could go on a whole week without it. But the anxiety was eating off his mental stamina. Commissioner Gordon was finally released, and he was arranging everything for his daughter, the best he could.

"Evening, sir Alfred," Ben said in a tired voice, without looking at the one approach.

"... Evening Master Ben," Alfred said, and stood beside him silently. Alfred was surprised getting called out, but being Batman's butler, he knew how much of an enigma Ben was. Ben appreciated the silence as well.

After some time, he asked, ".... Any news?"

"... I'm afraid not," Alfred answered back. Both said nothing, but Alfred noticed Ben's hands shaking, with rage. Soon Barbra got released and sent back to her room with Ben, Alfred, and Gordon. Gordon was feeding her while Alfred and Ben stood aside.

Ben sensed someone reaching the window and snapped his attention there, but relaxed. The other three noticed and were alarmed when the window opened. Batman entered through the window, his always apathetic expression on his face. But he was still a man, and he had his limits. And not resting for three days straight had its. Ben was able to sense the emotions leaking through him and he didn't like it. Rage, but it was far out shadowed by another. Guilt.

"What happened?" Ben asked before anyone else. His question was completely different from everyone else like he knew something was wrong. And Barbra knew very well Ben was quite sensitive to others' emotions and started to feel something was extremely wrong. And Batman's next words proved exactly that.

"...I'm sorry, I couldn't save him..." He said looking down. Alfred slowly looked down, shedding a tear while clenching his cane tightly. Barbra burst in tears hearing this, while Gordon snapped out from his shock, but didn't know what to make out of what he just heard.

Ben said nothing, did nothing, he just silently stood there, looking at Batman. Batman felt his gaze, and he did not like what he saw. He learned to gauge human emotions a while ago, and the best way to look at how someone was feeling was through their eyes. And he has watched the same eyes as Ben has only a few times. Cold. Not just cold, someone who had completely cut off his emotions.

Ben turned around and walked out of the room, and Batman left as well, as he was still looking for the one who was responsible for everything that happened today.

Ben reached the roof of the hospital and stood in the rain, with an emotionless face and a gaze that could freeze anyone who looked in them. He stood there for a while and turned to look at the exhaust outlet on the side. He kept staring at it, and two men wearing clown masks and woman with different colored pigtails came from behind it. Other similar men came out similarly.

Ben was surrounded by 10 masked men, some carrying bats, some guns. While Harley Quinn stood in front of him with her mallet.

"Ah shucks, I was hoping ol' commish to com ere', not some brat. But you are with the girl Mr. J shot, so you can work fineeee." Harley said in her cheery tone.

"... Just tell me where the clown is, and I promise I'll make it painless..." Ben said as he looked at her.

"Hey, don't call Mistah J that. Hmmm, as for your answer..." Harley yelled, then took a thinking pose"... How about I take ya there myself..." She yelled while swinging her mallet at Ben. But to her and others' surprise, he stepped forward and caught the hammer by its handle. She tried pulling back, but the hammer didn't move a bit.

Harley looked at Ben with frustration but froze in place. She saw Ben smiling. But that smile made her subconscious scream at her to run, yet her body didn't move one bit. "... Well, as I said, I will try my best to make it painless," Ben said in a cold voice, scaring the goons. He kicked Harley, who crashed into the vent. Before the goons snapped out, the mallet crashed onto one of the gun holders. The other four aimed at him, but he used the first one as a shield. The gunmen hesitated, and the one Ben was holding crashed onto the two at the side, while he attacked the other three. He avoided the ones holding bats and crowbars for now.

He quickly took out the gun holders, then trashed the remaining goons. One of them tried to run, the hammer crashed on his spine, breaking it and he fell. Ben picked up the hammer and avoided a spiked bat thrown at him. He threw the Mallet at Harley who was picking up a gun. Ben stood over her with the hammer in hand, looking down at her coldly.

Harley couldn't understand why she was feeling this much fear. She remembered everything going according to Joker's plans, so she didn't understand where this guy came from. "... As promised, I will make it painless..." Ben said as he lifted the mallet and slammed on her head, knocking her out.

"...*sigh* Guess lack of sleep makes even the Batman lose the edge. Or maybe this is why Alfred's here?" Ben said, as he collected the weapons in his item box, in case necessary, but turned surprised seeing the screen.

He stared at it for a second then smiled coldly, "... The clown is crazy, my ass... or maybe he is..." Ben muttered as he went back in.

Ben went back to Barbra's room and saw her, Gordon, and Alfred look at him.

"Commissioner, you might wanna check the roof. I just cleared some trash with clown masks." Gordon's eyes widened hearing this and immediately called his co-workers. Alfred and Barbra were surprised to hear this, and Alfred messaged Batman about it. Ben sat down by Barbra's side, who kept asking if he was alright, to which he just nodded and didn't say anything.

In the next 15 minutes, both police and Batman came to look at Harley and other clowns bound by chains. Gordon arranged the interrogation quick and came back to check on Barba one last time before he left when Barbra said. "Dad, can you make sure Ben leaves the city safely."

"Barbra?" Ben looked at her confused.

"Ben, you should leave. he.. already attacked Jason. I don't want to lose another friend" She said in a broken voice

"But-" Ben tried to argue

"Please. For me... Please." Barbra begged whimpering.

Ben said nothing and kept staring at her, who was on verge of crying, and sighed.

"...Fine." He said and wiped the tears from her eyes. He then took out a bracelet and put it on." Don't take it off." He said to her, who said nothing. Ben looked at Alfred and said "Can you arrange a ride sir Alfred, the police are already as busy as they can be.

Alfred nodded and lead him towards his car. Ben saw the security police and Wayne guards put into the hospital now, and kept walking. Both of them left in the car as Alfred drove silently. Finally Ben spoke, "... Please tell me he at least found his body."

Alfred tightly clutched the steering wheel then spoke, "... Yes sir, he did... but Batman put him in the Batmobile and tried to help others get out of the area, he came back to find it.... missing." He said, shedding a tear. They both sat and said nothing else.

After a while, the car reached the station. Alfred said ".... Master Ben we're he-!!!", but when he looked through the mirror at Ben, he found him missing. In his place, he found a note. "Take care of Barbra, Alfred." Alfred snapped out in a second and activated the car's radio.

"What is it, Alfred?" A hoarse voice came through.

"Sir, he's gone. He just disappeared from the back seat leaving a note to take care of miss Gordon." Alfred hurriedly said.

Batman's eyes widened, then narrowed down. Ben has been an... interesting subject, in his opinion. Former villain, who got amnesia. His occasional watch on him made him assured he indeed did have amnesia, but his conditions and nightmares were a downside to his genius intellect. And Batman did not like the steps he was taking to cure his nightmares. And he had noticed now noticed Ben's change, which he has dismissed because of finding Joker, and realized something had happened to him, and he is going for the Joker.

Batman, true to his title of world's greatest detective, immediately reached a close conclusion to what had happened just now.

"Go to Barbra and tell her he's gone. I'll try finding him." He said, jumping into the batmobile and accelerating towards the north part of the city, where he deduced he'll find Joker, and he deduced the most probable location as well.

*Gotham Abandoned Circus*

In the northern district of Gotham city, near the shore stood a shutdown Ferris wheel, a part of many run-down games in Gotham circus. And on one of the rides, stood a boy, around 16, wearing a black suit, Black jacket, jeans, gloves, mask. The only different thing was a metal sheen it gave off, with multiple metal plates attached to it. The only thing that stood out about him was his eerily shining blue eyes.

And right now, he was hearing with his enhanced hearing what was going on in the tent.

*Inside the tent*

"WHY HASN'T THE POOL BEEN COVERED UP, AND WHAT ABOUT THE DAMN FIREWORKS. HAVE THEY BEEN SET OR NOT? AND WHERE THE HELL IS HARLEY???" Yelled a man. The man wore a peculiar set a purple suit and pants, with green boots. But his most noticeable features were his bleached face, with dark green hair and a smile etched on his face with red paint. And that smile was one that gives nightmares to the citizens of Gotham.

The Joker was every bit crazy the media reported him to be. But his most terrifying fact was he was a genius, a bloodthirsty genius. That's what had made him Batman's arch-nemesis, and the plague of Gotham. Because every opponent of Batman had a peculiar quirk, be it a habit of leaving riddles, to straight animalistic nature. But Joker had none and challenged the dark knight again and again.

"Where is your sidekick clown? I do not want any problem with my plans." Came a muffled voice behind Joker. Joker turned back and glared at the one who spoke. The man stood nearly 3 meters tall, wearing a luchador outfit, and what drew the most attention was his air mask and tubes connecting to his spine and arms.

Bane stood in front of the clown, not noticing his glare. Joker scoffed hearing him and said, "Plan? Do you call that a plan? You planned to break Batman after he finished the errands you set up? No, you don't do that. He is a mountain, a few earthquakes may cause landslides, but he will still stand. Batman will rise again. You saw what I did, target him where it hurts. And they have the gall call me the clown." Joker comically stomped on the ground while he cursed Bane.

As much as Bane hated to admit, the clown in front of him was right. He may have been able to beat Batman, but that wouldn't have broken his will. And his justice buddies would have helped him. But it didn't matter, Gotham will fall, and those of the Justice League will have to deal with their own problems so they would be too late to help the Bat.

*Stay tuned for more...*