Chapter 22

Somewhere in the Human Village....
Inside a building were 6 of the Joker's armed goons guarding the gigantic room while the two thugs were watching the two hostages who were both tied up together to a chair.


"Please... you don't have to this." The woman anxiously said crying for help.


"Oh sure we don't need to do this but that won't stop us!" The thug said with a menacing voice and laugh while reloading his gun, which made the couple frighten.


"Just let my wife go and take me instead.... we have a son!" The man explained terrified trying to protect his wife from the dangerous thugs.


"Too bad, that kid is going to be an orphan pretty soon." The thug said while laughing cruelly.


"Do you have any idea how hard being a henchmen is? Listening to orders from a crazy person and following them without any question." Another thug yelled out of frustration at the couple.


"Yeah. Do you think I like being yelled at that maniac clown?!" The first thug shouted at the couple.


"Oh god no!" The man was frightened from what the Joker's men was about to do to them.


Batman/Johnny was on top of a vantage point and an armed goon was underneath him. He performed an inverted takedown by quickly grabbing the enemy below him and leaves him dangling from it by a cable tied to his legs. This takedown has drawn the attention of the other thugs.


"Get over there and find out who's screaming." All the thugs ran to the area from where they heard their comrade's scream.


Batman/Johnny switched on to another vantage point and threw a Batarang cutting the cable. The unconscious thug fell the ground and startled his fellow comrades.


"I'm sure it came from over there!" The 5 thugs aimed there guns from where the Batarang came from but Batman/Johnny quickly used his grappling gun swinging to another vantage point before the thugs noticed a thing. "Come on where are you?!"


"Wake up! Can you hear me? Wake up!" One of the thugs tried to wake their fallen comrade up but it was unsuccessful. "Damn he's out cold! Show yourself, chicken!"


"Alright new plan, we spread out and get revenge!" Another thug said moving on to find Batman/Johnny.


While the thugs spread out to find the vigilante, Batman/Johnny glides down from his vantage point and sprayed an Explosive Gel behind a weak wall.


The Explosive Gel is a gadget and occasional weapon. Batman/Johnny could spray the gel on weak structures and trigger the gel to explode.


After spraying the weak wall with Explosive Gel, Batman/Johnny threw a Sonic Batarang in front of the weak wall and Batman/Johnny quickly grappled up to a new vantage point.


The Sonic Batarang can sent out a high-pitched wailing sound and could be detonated to incapacitate any thug near the gadget.


"Where's the noise coming from?" The thugs heard a wailing sound echoing within the room. A thug arrived at the area from where the noise is coming from and saw the Sonic Batarang in front of the weak wall.


"What's that metal thing doing there?" Thug went to have a closer look at the Sonic Batarang but was failed to noticed that the Sonic Batarang exploded leaving an electrical shock at the thug for getting too close. The scream of the thug alerted the rest that Batman/Johnny has taken one of them out again.


"Over here now! I've found someone!" The remaining 4 thugs found their incapacitated comrade laying on the ground unconscious.


Meanwhile Batman/Johnny was on his vantage point watching all the thugs regrouped at the same place. Just in time to detonate the gel on the weak wall right in front of them. The explosion of the wall was so strong that its pieces smashed right at the remaining 4 thugs knocking all down unconscious.


After the room was secure, Batman/Johnny glides down from his vantage point to check on the hostages.


"Batman! It's really you!" The man said in surprised. He and his wife has never seen anyone took down 6 armed men that quick before.


"Are you hurt?" Batman/Johnny asked with his voice modulator/changer while he unties the couple.


"A little shaken but we're fine." The man said while he helped his wife stand up.


"Our son! He was with us when that clown took us from that fun fair. Is our baby boy alright?" The woman asked panicking and worried that Richard might be in danger.


"Yes Richard is safe. You'll see him again when I get you both out of here." Batman/Johnny replied. The parents calmed down and sighed in relief knowing their son is safe, especially hearing Richard's name.


"Thank you! You don't know how much our boy means to us." The woman was very grateful that Batman/Johnny managed to save the young boy. Of course Batman/Johnny knew who was their son.


"Were you the only hostages that was taken by the Joker?" Batman/Johnny asked.


"That's the clown's name? I... I mean no. They took somebody with them. Said that they were going to do experiments on him." The man explained. Batman/Johnny was confused and worried at the same time when he heard what the Joker's planning with the other hostage.


"Experiments? Where did they took him?" Batman asked.


"Those men took him over there but the door's blocked." The man said as he pointed at the shutter door with a electrical motor above it.


"Not entirely." Batman/Johnny saw an electrical generator with them inside the room.


Batman/Johnny pulled out some parts of the generator and combining it with some gadgets from his utility belt. The Graysons watched Batman/Johnny doing something with the generator but had no idea what he was building.


"What are you doing?" The woman asked confusingly watching Batman/Johnny work.


All they knew is that Batman/Johnny was done working and was now holding a gun that he just invented. The Graysons stepped back and afraid at the gun Batman/Johnny was holding but he told them it was non-lethal so there was no reason for the Graysons to be afraid.


"I need to stop the Joker. If you two hear anyone coming, hide. I'll be back." Batman said while examining the new gadget he unlocked, the Remote Electrical Charge or the REC gun.


The Remote Electrical Charge or the REC gun is a weapon that can shock people with electricity and power up generators and industrial electromagnets.


Batman/Johnny fired his REC gun at the electrical motor which pulled the shutter door back up. Batman/Johnny got outside the room while the Graysons hid somewhere safe until Batman/Johnny gets them back.


Batman/Johnny spend a couple of minutes finding the other hostage within the building until he found a door. Batman/Johnny was about to open the door but it quickly opened as a powerful kick hit his chest and sending him to the opposite direction.


8 more of the Joker's thugs came out from the door and was accompanied with a giant, muscular man with clown make-up and holding a giant hammer. This man was missing his left arm and revealing a scar tissue at his left side. The Joker thugs named this man, Mr. Hammer.


"You will not reach to the Joker! I will stop you!" Mr. Hammer said with his Russian accent.


"What are you going to do now, Bat? We've got the big guy in our side." One of the ordinary thugs mocked at Batman/Johnny thinking they've got the upper hand, or so they thought.


Batman/Johnny quickly fired his REC gun at Mr. Hammer, making him electrocuted by the electricity and swings his hammer uncontrollably hitting the thugs surrounding him. Batman/Johnny started to attack the Joker's men and then began punching Mr. Hammer multiple times.


"Hold still so I may pound your face to the dirt." Mr. Hammer said as he began to hit Batman/Johnny with his hammer but he quickly dodged behind the big guy and the hammer his the ground instead.


Batman/Johnny performed an ultra stun at Mr. Hammer making him dizzy from Batman/Johnny's cape and then punches Mr. Hammer multiple times again. Even though Mr. Hammer was a very strong and muscular thug, he was starting to feel weak from Batman/Johnny's beating.


After enough punches, Batman/Johnny jumped high enough with enough momentum and strongly punched Mr. Hammer on the head from above and followed by his body slammed on the ground unconscious. The rest of the Joker thugs became speechless. They were shocked to see Batman/Johnny successfully defeated a thug bigger than him.


"Oh no! He took down the big guy!" The thug yelled in fear.


Batman/Johnny continued to fight the rest of the thugs forming his free flow combat. A couple of frustrating minutes later, the thugs were incapacitated leaving Batman/Johnny the only man standing.


"Hope that's the last of them." Batman/Johnny said breathing heavily as he continued his journey.


Batman/Johnny opened the door and as he opens it, there was the hostage sitting on a chair and a TV monitor in front of him. Batman/Johnny could only see the back section of the hostage and not if he was still alive or not.


"I'm not here to hurt you. I'm getting you out of here." Batman/Johnny called out for the hostage but he didn't reply as he just sits there doing nothing. "Can you hear me?"


Batman/Johnny slowly went closer to the hostage and puts his hand on the hostage's shoulder turning him around. The Joker has killed many people before but what he did to this hostage was the worst yet.


"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!" The hostage laughed loudly. His skin was pale and has the largest grin on his face with blood coming out from his oversized eyes. The hostage almost resembled the Joker's facial structure.


"No." Batman/Johnny gasped in horror. He has never this kind of nightmare like this before.


"Plea... please make HAHAHAHA.... make it stop! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" The Hostage said between his laugh but was unsuccessful to stop his laughter.


Due to this torture, the Hostage suddenly fell on the floor and his body shaking uncontrollably due to his laughter. The laughter was slowly wearing off and the man just lay on the ground with a big smile, not even moving a muscle. Batman/Johnny knelt down putting his fingers on the hostage's neck for any pulse. Nothing.


"He's dead. I should've saved him." Batman/Johnny said in guilt. Only leaving the Joker's smile at the hostage. Soon the the TV monitor turned itself on.


"How do like them apples, Bats? HAHAHAHAHAHA!" The Joker appeared himself at the TV monitor laughing.


"Joker! What have you done to this man?!" Batman/Johnny yelled out in anger at the monitor, especially from what the Joker did to the hostage.


"Oh so you've witnessed my new Joker Venom in action, huh?" The Joker said.


"Joker Venom?" Batman/Johnny repeated curiously at the name that he never heard before.


"Remember the chemicals I stole from Claridge? It took me a very long time to perfect the formula. After my new Joker Venom was complete, all I needed were test subjects which is why I set up the carnival. Everyone in Transylvania will get the chance to taste my lovely Joker Venom HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!" The Joker explained diabolical plan.


"Not unless if I stop you first." Batman/Johnny said clenching his fist in anger.


"Oh, Bats. Always with the hero speech. Caring for the innocent lives of humans and monsters. It makes you so pathetic HAHAHAHAHAHA! That's why you're so fun to play with." The Joker said teasingly.


"Carrying for other people doesn't make me weak, it makes me who I am. Which is why I'm nothing like you, Joker." Batman/Johnny said with his anger boiling.


"Oh no, Batman. Me and you.... we're two threads at the same stitch. Bound together, even under strain. We were made for each other, Bats. You'll see." The Joker said but Batman/Johnny suddenly punched the TV monitor smashing the screen to release his anger.


Batman/Johnny released his fist from the TV monitor to calm himself down. He turned off his voice modulator/changer to call Alfred.


"Alfred, I'm done here. Richard's parents are safe. Send the police my location." Batman/Johnny notified in frustration.


"Oh that is good news, Johnny! I knew you'd save them! Anything else?" Alfred cheered in victory throughout Batman/Johnny's earbud.


"Call a paramedic. The Joker killed one of the hostages." Batman/Johnny said.


"Oh no. I'm sorry to hear that." Alfred's victory moment was now crushed and replaced by depressed.


"I've also discovered something else. The Joker used the chemicals he stole from Claridge to create a toxin causing the victim to laugh uncontrollably and slowly leading them to a painful death. The Joker said he's planning to release his toxin around Transylvania." Batman/Johnny explained.


"That's... THAT'S HORRENDOUS!" Alfred yelled in horror throughout Batman/Johnny's earbud.


"We can worry about that later. Once the police has taken the Graysons to safety, I'm coming back to the hotel to let Drac know they're safe." Batman/Johnny harshly ended the conversation not even letting Alfred to continue to talk. He had enough for one night.


To be continued.....

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