Chapter 37

"Why are you with Barbara, Sam?" Luke asked.

"Huh?" Sam glanced at his side. "Oh, I was looking for you and found her. She ended up helping me look for you." He said with a smile.

"The police commissioner and the future district attorney. You'd make a great couple. You're both single too." Luke Fox teased.

"Please, Luke." Sam Young scratched his cheek. "We're both busy for that kind of thing."

He tried to reject the idea but he couldn't hide the fact that he was a little interested.

Luke faintly smiled at his friend. Then, he looked at Barbara who was keeping a straight face about it but was glancing at Terry. He noticed Terry was also glancing at her.

"Hmmm...Come with me, Sam." Luke put his arm around Sam and pulled him in the direction of the crowd. He read the mood and made an opportunity for the two to talk alone.

"Where are we going?" Sam asked.

"This fundraiser is for you. I'm a businessman. Think of yourself as a product. I need to sell you in front of my "friends". So keep a smile on at all times."

Luke glanced at Terry and Barbara as he pulled Sam and made a concerned facial expression. He heaved out a sigh before facing forward towards the crowd.

"Barbara..."

"Don't talk to me that way. I said to forget what happened. I had hoped that when we meet each other tonight, you'd already have forgotten about it." Barbara said before turning her heel.

"Wait." Terry grabbed her by the wrist and stopped her from leaving. "You're not listening...." Terry sighed. "..I don't have feelings for you either if that's what you're worried about." He said straight to her face.

Barbara faintly smiled. "...Good. Is that all?"

"No..." Terry fixed his hair before fixing his posture and looking straight at Barbara's eyes. "...I can't deny that I am attracted to you...I was thinking that maybe we can continue seeing each other."

"...Didn't you just say-"

"When I held you that night, it really helped me get my mind off of Rose." Terry drew close to her and gently placed his hands on Barbara's waist. "I was thinking if I could help you out too." He pulled her back towards him and talked near Barbara's neck.

"!!" Barbara immediately drew her eyes at the crowd outside of the lounge. "Terry!"

She's still the commissioner. It would be a scandal if someone here caught them.

"They're busy..." Terry gently said.

Barbara felt his warm breath brushing on her neck. Her body moved on its own as she placed her hands on the arms holding her waist.

She turned her head to look at him. Their faces were close. She felt the violent thumping from Terry's chest on her back.

They shared a kiss.

Terry led her into a secluded space near the restrooms. Their atmosphere got hotter and heavier each time their lips locked and their bodies bumped into each other.

Barbara looked at Terry as he slowly kissed her from her neck to her chest and then to her navel. She held his hair and pulled his head towards her body.

Lots of things were going in her mind right now. She was thinking that this is wrong. The man kissing her thighs is the son of one of her subordinates, Mary McGinnis. The biological son of the man she loved, Bruce Wayne.

But she couldn't resist the way her body was feeling good. That moment, she decided to continue this casual relationship with Terry.

Terry slowly got back up, using Barbara's breasts as support.

Just when he was removing his belt...

-Hahahaha....

A laugh rang out.

Barbara and Terry stopped and furrowed their brows.

-Hahahahaha...

They could hear the crowd murmuring outside as the laugh echoed.

Both of them quickly fixed their clothes and ran outside past the lounge.

There was smoke everywhere on the stage. The people were obviously terrified.

Suddenly, a man appeared from the smoke. He had a wide grin and his eyes were open wide.

"That's-!" Barbara gasped.

It was the russian mob boss.

The man moved forward violently. No. He was pushed forward and flailed as he dropped off the stage still wearing his wide grin.

He was dead.

"Terry!-" Barbara looked back at Terry to order him to go, but he was already gone.

Barbara made a wry smile. She understood that he already left to do his job.

She looked back at the stage and moved towards it to calm the whole crowd.

"Stay back, everyone! Don't go to the exits! Stay calm and move far away from here!"

She's been in this situation before. If the bad guys showed up here, then all the exits are already blocked.

The only thing left to do was to listen to the demands of these criminals until help arrives. She had already sent a signal to the police.

As the smoke began to clear up, five silhouettes appeared.

One of them walked out of the smoke. A man with long black hair that had make up on to make his face look like a skull.

Another one came out of the smoke wearing a mask with green hair. His whole outfit recreates the signature look of the Joker.

This time, a big man with pale white skin came out wearing overalls.

Another one came out with black and white clown make up. Strands of green hair popped out of his head. It was Doug Tan.

Lastly, the one in the center finally revealed himself.

"Hahahaha...." A deep toned laughed bellowed out from him as he held his stomach. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHA"

Barbara widened her eyes. Rarely does she get this shocked from a surprise but this one made her question reality itself.

"No..." She uttered.

"That's right! Joker's back in town! You missed me?" The man looked at her with the widest grin anyone has ever seen before. "HAHAHAHAHAHA"

"I saw you burn..." Barbara still in disbelief.

"I'm reborn! Stronger than ever! Like a phoenix rising from its own ashes..." The Joker chuckled before jumping down the stage. He glimpsed at the dead man they threw off earlier.

"Why did you kill him?"

"Hahahaha...I didn't kill him..." Joker lied down and aimed the russian mob boss' face at Barbara to let her see it. "I just brightened up his day. Haha."

Barbara furrowed her brows in disgust.

"That's why I came back!" He spread out his arms in front of the crowd that was watching. "I came back to bring joy to this depressing city!" As he said that, his men that were with him closed in on the crowd and brought out their weapons.

The crowd eeked out.

Barbara glared at them.

"Sheesh. Like father like daughter." Joker remarked. "We only came here to have some fun! Relax~. Settle down. Let me in on what I've missed for the past...seventeen years?" The Joker tilted his head and raised a brow.

"You couldn't have just read an Almanac?" A deep voice spoke right behind the Joker.

Joker widened his eyes and immediately threw an elbow towards his back.

The man, clad in all black, dodged it and headbutted Joker's chin before somersaulting backwards to get space.

The four men with Joker started running towards him.

"Don't!" The Joker shouted as he rubbed his chin. "We didn't come here for him." He chuckled.

"What did you come here for?"

"Hahahaha...The new Batman..." The Joker said as he analyzed the man before him. "No cape? I always loved the cape, but the red is a nice touch." He chuckled. "I just came here to announce that I'm back."

"No one cares." Batman glared at him.

"Oh?" He took out a gun and pointed it at Barbara.

Barbara just glared at him without any fear.

"She looks like she cares, doesn't she?"

Click.

Batman rushed towards Barbara's direction immediately after Joker pulled the trigger. But he stopped because it didn't fire a bullet. Only a flag that has the word "BANG!" written on it came out of the barrel.

"Hahahahaha" Joker waved the gun with a flag proudly as he laughed. Then, he pointed it at Batman.

Click.

He pointed it at the dead man lying on the floor right before pulling the trigger.

The flag shot out and got embedded itself into the corpse.

Batman glared at him and took a step forward.

"Uh uh uh."Joker wagged his finger. "If you come close, I'll make us all blow up" He said as he took out an object with a button on top.

"Lie" Batman said as he took a step again.

"Dont!" Barbara shouted and made him stop. "He won't lie about something like that."

"Hahahahaha...she's right." Joker turned towards the crowd again. "If you need proof, I could just push this button right now."

"H-hey, boss..." One of the men that dressed up in a signature Joker purple suit said visibly terrified at the Joker's last statement.

"Shhh...don't disturb the man." Doug said to him.

Chuff chuff chuff chuff chuff...

A helicopter was heading towards the hotel.

All eyes automatically went to it.

"It looks like our ride's here..." The Joker said. "Don't worry. We'll get to play next time." He winked at Batman as a ladder dropped down.

The Joker let his men go first before going on the ladder himself.

"By the way... you have to get out of this building before it blows up in...oopsie...I wasted too much time..." Joker said as he looked at his watch. "There was supposed to be five minutes left but now you only got two!" He laughed as he hanged on the heliopter's ladder as it flew away.

"Guh!" He grunted in frustration. Batman can't do anything about it. He needs to deal with the immediate threat to these people first before he can think about chasing after the Joker.

The crowd started panicking.

"Everybody! Stay calm! Don't run to the exits!" Barbara shouted.

"We'll die if we don't escape from here! What do you expect us to do?!" Somebody from the crowd shouted as he ran towards the exit.

"No!-"

BOOM!

The door exploded as soon as the man turned the knob.

"Shit!" Barbara shouted as she dropped her arm that she used to cover her head from the explosion.

The man that tried to open the door fortunately didn't die yet, but he sustained grave wounds and needs to be brought to the hospital eventually.

The crowd got even crazier.

"That's why I said to calm down first!" Barbara shouted to get their attention. "Don't head to the exits. Stay put. We'll handle this situation." Barbara said then, she looked at Batman who was scanning the area. "You done?"

"I've already located the bombs." Batman flew up "I'll disarm them now. Back up is already heading up the stairs."

Barbara nodded and Batman flew towards the balconies. He gathered the bombs that were planted first before he started disarming them one by one. He didn't need to do it manually because LUCIUS and his suit were doing it for him.

The bombs were disarmed with thirty seconds left on the timer.

One minute and thirty seconds. It was enough time for the Joker to escape.

Soon after, the exits were eventually opened by the police after disarming the bombs there.

Batman carried the injured man personally to the nearest hospital before coming back to talk with the police.

"The Joker?! Didn't your dad confirm he was dead?" Barbara's vice-commissioner asked.

"Yeah....I was there too to watch his cremation...I don't know how, but that definitely was him." Barbara cupped the hot cup of coffee with her hands as she felt the cold breeze.