Gotham Idol Round 3 - [thesingingbush] - Fic - [The Case Of The Missing Emerald Insect]
Title: The Case of the Missing Emerald Insect
Author: thesingingbush
Fandom: TDK, The Green Hornet
Disclaimer: I didn't see anything, I didn't hear anything, I didn't say anything, I didn't do anything, I don't own anything. As far as anyone's concerned, this is all a dream. Now try and sue that. XD
Characters/Pairings: Batman/Joker, Kato
Rating: PG-15
Prompt: Other Character PoV
Word Count: 6,496
Warning: Crossover,
Team: Knight
Summary: The Green Hornet has been kidnapped. All evidence leads Kato to Gotham city, and more exact, the Joker. But did the Clown really do it?
(A/N: Oh my GOD! This turned out waaay longer than I had ever intended. Sorry. I don't think it's as good near the end, because I got really tired by then, dammit. B[ Anyway, The Green Hornet. I love that show. Van Williams plays Britt Reid/the Green Hornet on the tv series, and Bruce Lee played Kato. Yes, THAT Bruce Lee. The one and only god of martial arts was on a super hero tv show during the same time period as Adam West's Batman. And of course, on Batman The Green Hornet and Kato both crossover in about two or three episodes. And then that famous fight scene between Robin and Kato turns up, where Robin is suppose to beat him. Pff! Right. Bruce Lee left the set he was so mad about it. And I don't blame him. But ANYWHO. If anyone wants to see a piccy of the two guys, just click here, or for a clearer shot, here. Oh, and this is a piccy of the Black Beauty. AND THIS IS THE REASON I DID THIS CROSSOVER IN THE FIRST PLACE. It makes sense, cuz it's semi canon. Also, sorry it's blurry. I have a black and white one that's better, but this one's more fun. ^w^)
((One of the inspirations to this story is that Batman comic called Devil's Advocate, and if you click on the name it will take you to the link from batmanjoker where I first looked at it. I've never read the whole thing--just what's on the site--so I don't know really what happens. Of course I added my own extreme twist on it, of course. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE comment if you liked it!! I love comments, and they are something I really look forward to on a regular basis. I'm not kidding. So please leave one!! Then I'll know I don't suck and fail completely. ^w^))
* * Prologue * *
He could hear shouting behind the closed doors. The sounds of shuffling feet followed soon after by banging furniture rumbled throughout the room. A struggle was breaking out.
Kato ran and kicked the double doors. They didn't open. He did it again and again, each time with more force. His desperation to break in there and help his comrade was great. It should have opened at the first kick, and when it didn't Kato knew there was something blocking the doorway. That infuriated him.
They had purposely locked it with a chair or something to keep him out of the way from whatever it was they were doing in there. Britt Reid (who is known as the Green Hornet) was a highly skilled martial arts fighter, and Kato was an elite master at it. Together they were a near unstoppable team. So it did make sense that an enemy would go out of their way to separate the two and go after the less skilled, yet more important vigilante and keep the other one at bay. But how they knew they were going to be here at this location, at this exact time, was so hard to fathom it just couldn't be possible. The only times they discussed it was at Reid's home or in the Black Beauty, and their would be no reason to bug him at his home because no one knew (aside from a selected few) his secret identity, and the Black Beauty always knew when it was being monitored against the Hornet's will.
But somehow they found out. And The Green Hornet had only been in there a few minutes, a few minutes, when a fight broke out. If the Green Hornet hadn't asked Kato to keep guard outside the office room, then he would have been in there with him, fighting at his side. How he wished he was inside.
Kato paused for just a moment when he distinctly heard the Green Hornet's sonic sting go off twice followed shortly by two electric explosions. Frantic lights flashed from every crack in the door. He heard screams this time, one of them he knew very well. There was the sound of some glass shattering and a mechanical laughter that greeted Kato as he yelled and gave one last, hard kick to the double doors that kept him out. They finally flew open, and the faithful valet only took one step forward before taking in what was left of the office room. And the objects that now resided in it.
It seemed like a surreal nightmare inside. The long tube fluorescent light bulbs from the ceiling flickered on and off every now and again exploding a shower of sparks. One of them hung down low swaying from side-to-side. A freshly gaping burnt hole covered the wall to Kato's left. Hundreds of fluttering cards rained down everywhere, it's origin seeming to come from no actual pinpoint location. Kato walked carefully into the room and snatched a card from the air and flipped it over. It was a Joker card. He grabbed another one, same thing, only the picture was slightly different. When he looked down he saw the floor was littered with them. The same type of playing card.
That was when Kato once again became aware of a tinny sounding cackle straight ahead. He looked up and saw a man seated in a luxurious chair behind a desk facing the grand scaled window onlooking the city. He was rocking back and forth, but otherwise gave no other indication of moving. The window nearest to the right had a large uneven hole, where a curtain was fluttering in and out of.
Kato tucked the cards into his pocket and approached the rocking man cautiously, not sure of what to expect. He brought his arms up in an attack position, preparing himself for any sudden movement.
But the man continued to rock in his chair, still laughing and never once turning around.
Kato knew there was something terribly wrong. The little chauffeur reached a hand onto the man's shoulder and the rocking stopped. Kato stepped closer and turned the man towards him. He swiveled easily and Kato stepped back. Another spark of light erupted showing the man in detail. He dropped his guard for just a moment, shocked at what he saw.
The man's face had been mutilated to being near unrecognizable. The skin around the lips was cut off, revealing both rows of teeth, jawbone, and the facial muscles up to the cheekbone in some grotesque smile. His eyelids had been removed up to the brow. The dead bloodshot eyes seemed to radiate a scream from within, holding the last memory forever captured in it's depths. A large knife was planted deep into the chest. Blood streamed down the face and soaked throughout the shirt and suit jacket he wore. Kato knew this man, but was relieved to see (from certain other defining parts) that this was not Mr. Reid.
The laughter continued from the ghastly face, seemingly from the dead man's mouth itself. Kato narrowed his eyes and pulled down the jaw with his gloved hand. Inside resting on the tongue was a little noise maker. He picked it up with his thumb and forefinger, examining it. The laugh it made seemed to be on a never ending loop, starting lower then ending high pitched, each duration lasting a mere second or two. He dropped it into his palm and crushed it. Silencing it for good.
He let the pieces fall to the floor through his fingers. Then something else on the floor caught his eye. He bent down and picked up a green hat with blood splattered on it. It was the Hornet's. The servant looked around again for anything else, and saw close by the sonic sting. He quickly picked it up and brought the items back to the window. The gun seemed fine, but where was the owner? Kato began to fear the worst, hoping his friend escaped, when he heard voices in the hall and the DC's police barged in, guns raised.
"Freeze!"
"Put your hands in the air!"
"Oh my god!"
"Look what he's done to Mr. Landyn!"
"He's armed! Drop your weapon!"
"He's gonna shoot!"
"Fire!"
Kato ducked behind the desk as the bullets shot all around him. He pulled the leather chair out then stood up and pushed the unfortunate man at the police, just enough to distract them as he turned and smashed through the glass window.
Getting safely to the ground after jumping out the window was easy.
Running back to the Chrysler Imperial dressed all in black through the dark of night even more so.
Kato drove off and led the cops on an elaborate chase when they caught up to him. It ended not soon enough when the squad cars crashed into each other in a pile up when Kato had Black Beauty spray and even sheet of slick ice.
The Green Hornet's sidekick drove out of town for a long trip to Gotham. He needed to talk to Batman about what happened here. The Joker was his nemesis, so why would he travel all the way out here to murder A CEO's vice-president in such a horrendous way, for no reason? But more importantly, why kidnap the Green Hornet who in the public's eye was just as evil as the Clown was? And how did he know they would be there? None of it made sense.
Kato had only met the Batman once before. Although the Bat also thought the two of them were criminals at first, Kato learned to trust and rely on the man himself when the Hornet held him in the highest regard and gave him nothing but praise. Kato trusted very few people, so when someone became worthy enough for that title, they meant the world to him and he would be loyal to them till the end.
And right now, Kato needed a friend more than ever to help save his closest companion.
* * 1 * *
The ride to Gotham felt longer than what he remembered. But it didn't matter now, he was there and he made his way to the MCU building from memory. He shut off the Black Beauty's green headlights and rigged it to 'silent running' as he moved through the streets. He parked the rolling arsenal in a secluded back alleyway near the building and locked it down.
Kato ran around the building until he spotted a substantial part. He looked around to make sure no one saw him, then spider crawled up the side with ease. When he reached the top he flipped over to land gracefully on the roof, but when he turned around he was startled to find the bat signal was nowhere in sight. Well now, that was unexpected.
He frowned and placed his hands on his hips, turning around more confused then before. He knew that there was a signal for him (for he thought it sort of comical at how they would call him on a clear night) and he was sure it was on this roof. Yet here he was, and there were spot lights, but not the one for the Batman. So, what now? Kato knew of no other way to contact him than this, because when he was here last, that's all anybody used.
He didn't have time for this. Every second wasted was a second closer to putting Britt in danger of the Joker's wrath. He needed to track down the Batman, and he'd just have to do it the old fashioned way; looking.
The Hornet's assistant moved to the ledge and propped one foot on it, taking out what looked like a thin piece of black paper with a green hornet on one side. He grabbed the edges in his fingers and pulled it apart, turning it into green binoculars. He set them up to his face and began to scan the decrepit city for any signs of the Bat. The binoculars he made himself, and they came equipped with extreme close up ability and heat censors. He turned his head slowly from one side to the other, making sure not to miss anything.
At first it seemed the Batman wasn't out tonight, but then he saw it. A flash of dark fabric swooping down, a very hard to read fast moving form that kept to the shadows. That was him. And he was surprisingly close by.
Kato cracked a half smile, but soon dropped it when he saw Batman was in trouble. Thugs from every angle surrounded him and charged. Kato didn't wait to see if the Dark Knight could handle it himself. He snapped his paper binoculars closed, tucked them back inside his uniform and slid back down the building the same side he came up from.
It didn't take him too long to sprint down one street to the next until he caught up with the vigilante. Without so much as another thought, Kato ran up and roundhouse kicked the first guy he came across in the face with a high pitched yell, knocking him out before he even hit the ground. Two other guys took notice of him and charged, trying to intimidate the little valet with their straight-forward threats and their big knives and swinging chains. Kato kept his footing light and controlled, watching their clumsy moves. The one with the chain swung it at him, and Kato side-stepped it with ease and struck out two unseen punches to the man's chest and intestines, letting out another high pitched yell. Before the man with the knife had a chance to react Kato moved in fast and grabbed his head and brought it down hard on his rising knee. There was a crack and the man dropped to the ground, his nose smashed in. The chain guy fell to his knees gasping for air, also down for the count.
A few more lowlifes took notice of the little wannabe hero and didn't like how easily he was taking them out one by one. Minus a few of them who couldn't escape Batman's wrath or who tried to attack him when his back was turned, the others went after the chauffeur in a circle and rushed at him at once.
Kato went on full speed, and all you could see was a black blur moving swiftly in the middle of the group, loud high pitched shrieking sounds and smacks of something hard breaking something else.
It took him 5 seconds to cause them all to either fall to the ground writhing in pain or be knocked out cold.
When they were all down Kato stood stock still in a guarding stance in the middle as if he hadn't moved at all. As he calmed himself down he looked up to see Batman staring at him in surprise, but not because of his fighting skills.
"Kato?" His voiced raised a little higher than usual at the question.
"Batman." He gave him a curt nod and stepped over a few bodies to approach the vigilante.
"What are you doing here? Where's--"
"I need your help. The Green Hornet has been kidnapped. Your Joker took him."
Batman stared at the Hornet's assistant for a moment, a mixture of disbelief and shock overtaking his chiseled features. "Are you sure it was the Joker?"
Kato pulled out the two playing cards he kept in his pocket and handed them to Batman. "I found those and many more in Mr. Landyn's office. He's the vice-president of a pharmaceutical company. The Green Hornet had reason to believe some of Mr. Landyn's employees were smuggling unsubscribed narcotics out to dealers in large quantities to sell on the streets. We went there to warn him about it, or even threaten him ourselves if we had to just to get him to take notice of the growing problem, when within minutes of being there we ran into trouble."
Batman turned the cards over slowly in his hands examining them carefully. "What happened in there?"
"I, uh..." Kato cleared his throat, a little uneasy about answering something he never actually witnessed. "I don't know fully. I was locked out, I couldn't get myself in right away when the fight started." Kato shamed himself for that. He couldn't forgive himself for not being there when Reid needed him most. But that wasn't important right now. What was, was telling Batman everything that he did see. "I finally got in, but the fight was long over. What was left over was a thoroughly trashed room, those Joker cards, and, Mr. Landyn himself."
Batman now looked at Kato's face quizzically. "He set up the whole thing?"
"No. He was killed. But it was in the way I found him that also lead me to believe it was the Clown's handy work. A knife was stabbed in his chest, his whole mouth looked like it had been ripped off into some sort of crude smile, and the eyelids were gone. Oh, and when I opened his mouth--"
"You found a small electronic device that sounded like laughter."
Now it was Kato's turn to stare at Batman in disbelief and shock. "Well, yes. But how did...?"
"We've been having the same type of bodies turning up at random places all through the city, with the same scenario that you just described." Batman sighed, and for the first time Kato noticed how tired the vigilante looked.
"Damn." He crushed the cards in is hands, his face becoming more rigid. "Damn damn damn. I tried to avoid it as long as I could...but now?"
Avoid it? Kato thought. Why would you avoid something like this? He narrowed his eyes at Batman for only a moment, then shook it off knowing he most likely meant something other than what it sounded like. He didn't like taking things out of context, so he dropped it.
"That far away...and Britt?" Batman seemed to come to some sort of a decision, Kato noticed from studying him. With an air of determination, the Dark Knight turned and walked swiftly deeper into the street towards the more tasteless part of Gotham. It took very little effort on Kato's part to catch up, and when he did he asked him "Where are we going?"
"To the Joker. I think it's about time I paid him a visit."
"Good. I have a few things that I wish to 'discuss' with him as well."
* * * * *
The Joker's hideout wasn't anything to brag about. In fact, to Kato it was the most sorry excuse for a building he had ever laid eyes on. Although, when it came to someone like the Joker, it was just the sort of place you'd expect to see him living in. So it wasn't all that big of a surprise to him when Batman took him there.
Batman slipped in silently, giving hand signals and gestures to Kato for him to do the same on the other side. Kato did, but that's where there teamwork ended. Kato knew Batman's technique of sticking to the shadows and listening in to the conversations of the people inside, eventually taking action and striking them down one by one when he got close enough.
But Kato had other plans. He didn't want to wait to strike at them one at a time, no matter how many were inside. He wanted the Joker, and he wasn't going to stop until he got his answers and the Green Hornet was safe. So he made a decision to waltz in there and take them down all at once, if he so had to. He was up to the challenge, and more than fully capable.
Kato snuck in through a window that once upon a time held glass and a frame and dropped to the floor in a crouch position. He threw his arms out to his sides for balance and stayed like that unmoving just to make sure no one saw him. Yet.
The room was relatively dark with barely any furniture. It looked more like an open warehouse with support beams planted all over the place than an actual room. All the furniture that did reside there was located right in the middle under two evenly spaced light bulbs. Kato ran quickly to one of the many support beams and pressed flatly against it. He peeked over the side and saw the Joker lounging lazily on a makeshift couch.
Along with 10 or more men wearing clown masks, thinly veiled masks or no masks at all. Just standing around making idle chitchat.
A bit more than what he thought would be there, but not a problem. They probably had weapons on them, but it could be dealt with.
Kato did his best to see if he could spot Batman, but for all his effort he couldn't see anything passed the light in the middle. He stopped dwelling on it and prepared himself for what he was about to do. He closed his eyes and thought about what the Joker did to the vice-president and what he might have already done to Reid. It cleared his mind and made his determination more focused. He was ready now.
Kato pushed himself away from the beam and out into the light. He hit one guy in the throat then kicked another guy in the chest knocking him back. He saw the look of surprise on the Joker and pulled out a green dart (which looked like a hornet) from his sleeve and chucked it at the Joker's hand which had been retrieving a gun from the inside of his coat pocket. The Clown cried out and dropped the gun pulling his hand in.
Kato's attention was then drawn to the other men now pulling their own weapons out. He made a stance and looked to the side, hands fisted. He waited for one of them to move then would strike. A guy with what looked like he was wearing a lady's stalking over his head with blue and red lightly painted above the eyes and over the mouth moved first, and the Valet grabbed his outstretched hand with the gun in it and swung it away from him just as he fired and hit another guy with no mask on. He threw his fist back and knocked it into the stalking man's face with a high pitched yell then grabbed him and threw the body away to some other henchmen who lost their balance.
He side kicked two guys behind him yelling then swung his other leg around and hit a masked clown square in the appendix then bounced on his other leg, ready for the next ape to try and get a hit in and fail miserably. It was most likely incredible to watch as this tiny black dressed man would throw a punch here, palm thrust there and several blinding fast kicks anywhere he could, caused all the bigger men surrounding him to fall to the floor like dominoes. He was a little blurred whirlwind in motion.
A few of them Kato hit a little too hard and they flew back and slid across the floor. Or hit a support beam. Either way, they were down.
Within record time they were all down, and without missing a beat Kato ran at the Joker, grabbed him by the collar and slammed him into a beam, pulling a dart out and threw his arm back to strike.
"KATO STOP!"
The Green Hornet's assistant stayed his hand and whipped his head around to the side. Batman stood with one arm outstretched, his eyes wide.
"Put it down, Kato. You've got him. Now let him breathe."
Kato looked back at the Joker and saw that his hand had moved on it's own from the madman's collar to his throat and was squeezing the life out of him. The Joker made some gurgling sounds and reached a hand up and clutched at Kato's chauffeur uniform and the other he placed over the vice grip on his throat. But he didn't fight him. He didn't struggle. He just stared into Kato's black eyes with a look of stunned fascination. Kato lowered the hand that held the dart, unable to let go nor tear his gaze away from the insane, yet rapidly unfocusing green eyes.
"Let him go, Kato. You're killing him! Is this really what you want? Let go."
But he couldn't.
This wasn't what he wanted. He doesn't kill unless he must, but even then he disliked it. Yet, he couldn't let go. Couldn't even do it as he saw the eyes roll back and the lids rapidly flutter. Not even when the purple gloved hands began to lose their grip and slip off.
Kato felt something gently squeeze his shoulder, then a low voice by his ear. "Kato." The Hornet's sidekick gasped and released his grip. He saw the Clown slump to the floor as he turned around and took a few steps away to try and control himself. He took several deep breaths and listened to the harsh coughing and haggard wheezing of the Joker behind him, and thought briefly about what he had almost done. The little fighter tightened his fists to stop the unwanted feeling he was getting.
He took a few more rhythmic breaths and felt his usual calm creep back into him. He let out a short sigh threw his nose and turned around, and did a double-take.
Batman was on his knees at the Joker's side with both of his arms cradling the other, his chin resting atop the Clown's head. He brought one hand up to touch the Joker's cheek then slid it up and combed through the green greasy hair, causing the Joker to look up into the Batman's eyes. Something was passing between them. Something, unspoken.
Something that made Kato feel extremely uncomfortable and out of place. As if he was watching something absolutely forbidden. The little man could only take so much in a day, so he cleared his throat as an alert to them that he was still in the room.
Batman looked up, then let go of the Joker with an abrupt stand and stepped back. Joker, for his part, fell over from his brace walking away and looked up at Batman with genuine hurt in his eyes. Kato felt dumbfounded. What the hell was going on?
When Joker's gaze turned to the chauffeur's presence, his whole demeanor changed drastically. He sat back on his elbows, crossing his ankles and gave the little man a once over while licking the corners of his scars. He grinned at Kato.
"Now don't tell me, lemme guess. You're either the flying mouse's sidekick, or his boy toy. With you're fighting skills, I'd say a point for sidekick, but that mask and getup? With him standing next to you, I bet you two make quite a stir at you're little S&M parties. Point for boy toy. So tell me, who ties who up?"
Batman kicked him in the side. "Shut up, Joker." The Clown just laughed it off.
"You're disgusting. I've come for the Green Hornet."
"Ooooh, looks like you've got competition there, eh Batsy? I've come for the Green Hornet! Is that what you're calling it now?!" The Joker rolled onto his back cackling at his own innuendo joke.
Batman kicked him harder this time. "I SAID SHUT UP!!"
The Joker ate up the hits he got as if Batman was simply rough housing with him in a playful way. He would swing and kick out at the Bat for good sport, but at some point in it the Joker's laughs turned into moans of...well, it didn't seem like pain anymore.
Kato was getting fed up with this. It was getting him nowhere, and he knew they were running out of time. He could feel it.
"Enough of this." Kato walked up to the Joker and hovered a foot above him. "Tell me clown, where are you keeping the Green Hornet? My patience is wearing thin, and I don't have all night."
"The green what?" The Joker rubbed one of his blackened eyes and looked up at Kato, bored with his insistent repetitive question. "Look Moo Goo Gai Pan, I don't know what you're talking about but I'm sure they have an ointment for that."
Kato looked at Batman, then brought his foot down on the Joker's throat knocking him flat. "Gak! The throat again?! What is it with you two?! I DO have other body parts that can be held down, you know."
"Answer us Joker, where is the Green Hornet?" Batman added in probably a bit louder than needed, but Kato didn't complain. "We know you have him, now where is he, and what is your new goal at attacking these people?"
"I honestly don't know what you two black birds are talking....Ohhhhh wait." Kato lifted his foot just an inch up and waited for what he had to say. "Do you mean ol' snot bug? Heeheehee, Yeah! I remember him! Haven't seen him in a while, and even then he never stayed for tea." Joker pushed Kato's foot out of the way and took a good look at the valet's face. Recognition softened his features as he smiled up at him again. "Heeey! I remember you now! You're the masked Bruce Lee wannabe, the slave to the snot bug! Say, how's life treating him these days? You clearly haven't changed. Just as cuddly, warm and funny as always."
Kato frowned down at him. What was this, a joke to him? Why was he acting like all of this was new to him? "Glad to know you remember me, but you still haven't answered my question."
"What, about where he is? How should I know, I'm not his keeper." Joker slid out from under his foot and began to fiddle with his collar. Kato was about to move when Batman stopped him. The vigilante frowned down at the madman who sat like a toddler on the floor, humming. "Are you telling us, that you have no idea where the Green Hornet's whereabouts are?"
Joker huffed and looked up at them both with annoyance. He then stood up with a short hop and wandered around them, checking with little interest how his men were faring on the floor. "Look Pooky, if I had known anything, don't you think I would have told you something by now? Or left some sort of hint, or calling card? You know me better than that."
"That's just it; you did leave something to track back to you." Batman pierced his lips and glanced at Kato briefly. "And don't call me 'Pooky'."
"Alright, alright fine. Sorry." He sighed dramatically. "Have to keep it a secret from all life forms and all, blah blah blah. I know." He stepped quickly up to Kato and hugged him from behind. "But it sure is fun to get you tinted red and flabbergasted!"
Kato grabbed the Joker's wrists and twisted them to get the Joker to spin around and pin his arms behind his back. "Don't touch me."
"Ow! Ahahaha! Okay-Ow! I got it, alright, let go!" Kato released him with a slight push. The Joker stumbled forward and nearly tripped over a body. He rubbed his arms and wrists and gave a pouting look to the two of them. "Geez, you'd think you enjoyed inflicting pain. Not that I'm complaaaiiniiiing!" He sing-songed.
"Waitwaitwait." Joker pointed a gloved finger at Batman. "You said I left something? What? And since when?"
Batman pulled out the crumbled cards and tossed them at the Clown. "Kato found several of those in Washington, along with the same mutilation markings that 6 others here in Gotham have. They all lead back to you."
Kato watched carefully as Joker straightened the cards out in his hands and studied each one. He saw the psycho's face drop and shift into a stern anger, and noted nonchalantly to himself how this facial appearance looked remarkably like Batman's typical one.
"These, are not my cards." He seethed through his teeth and if looks could kill, Batman would be dead where he stood. "What did the bodies that these rip offs were left at look like? TELL ME!!"
"Their mouths are cut to the cheekbone and the eyelids are removed." Kato spoke up first. He wasn't scared of the Clown, nor intimidated by him. Whatever he had to offer, Kato was confident enough in himself that he'd be able to counter it.
Which hopefully was a good thing, for now Joker turned slowly on his heel and bore flames in his eyes. "Also, they each carry a laughing mechanism that is placed in their mouths. And they're stabbed."
Joker growled deep in his throat and began a slow pacing in between Batman and Kato. Kato thought this normal, but saw from Batman's face that something else was up. "You didn't do it, did you?" Batman stated flatly. If it wasn't for the fact he said it with such assuredness, Kato would have argued the matter.
"Of course I didn't!" Joker spat out. "Ohhh, there are verrrry few things that truly upset me, and many things I can shrug off. But this? Some copycat going around doing foolish crimes that I wouldn't even give my funnybone to consider, and they are tarnishing my record by saying I did it?! That makes me mad."
"Then, who did it?" Kato couldn't help but ask. If it wasn't the Joker but someone pretending to be him, then he's no closer to finding the Green Hornet then when he was on his own, back in DC.
"I don't know, but we're going to have to find out."
"You bet your sweet ears we are!!" Joker turned and kicked one of his men in the head, which coincidentally knocked him back out when he was just starting to come to his senses. "Where do we start looking Puddin'?"
Kato shook his head and stared wide eyed at what the Joker meant. He's...going to help us??
Batman smiled wickedly at him, and before anymore was said or done, that oh so familiar sound of police sirens and a plethora of Gotham's finest broke in with only one warning to freeze, then they open fired on the three of them. Kato pushed Batman out of the way and ran into the shadows. He found the window he came in from and dived through it, all the while thinking Oh great, here I go again.
When he made it to the ground he ran to an alleyway and watched as the men in blue charged through the dilapidated building. He ran further away until a safe distance away from the police invasion. He felt a whiff of air next to him and turned to see Batman standing there. Kato was grateful to see him, although Batman did not look well.
"Is Joker with you?" He asked the valet desperately.
"No. I thought he went with you."
"No." The vigilante whispered. They both turned back to look in the direction of the flashing red and blue lights.
"Maybe,he's taken off on his own and will meet up with us later." Kato tried to think positive.
"Maybe, but I doubt it." They both knew. They didn't even bother to look for him close by, they could feel it. That horrible sense that something has backfired.
The Joker was arrested.
* * * * *
They sat in the back, each one quiet with their own thoughts to occupy them. Kato was grateful for Mr. Wayne to take him in and let him sleep in an actual bed instead of in the Black Beauty. He was also grateful he kept a change of clothes in the trunk of the Chrysler. Even though all he had to wear now was his black chauffeur uniform/crime fighting suit and the spare clothes which were a servants uniform, he didn't mind. Bruce Wayne just told anyone who asked about him that he was his new 'bodyguard', which was funny because that's what he was to Reid.
They sat next to each other in the courtroom, not paying all that much attention to anyone, except for the blonde haired, scarred faced man who was on trial in front of them.
What were they to do now? This situation kept getting worse, not better. They still didn't know anything about the Hornet's disappearance, except that the Joker didn't play a part in it. Kato's one suspect and he didn't even do it. And now they're at his trial for the 'face skinnings' (as the paper liked to call them now) which he also didn't do, but the outcome didn't look promising. The Clown's lawyer didn't try very hard for his defense, clearly believing he did it too.
Kato could see through the sea of heads that the Joker was wearing an orange jumpsuit and was handcuffed. Kato also noted with dry humor that he hadn't cracked one joke, or laugh. He didn't even smile. He was resting his head on the palm of one hand and strummed his fingers on the desk with the other. Whenever Kato could get a clear shot of him, he saw that the Joker was less than amused.
They had come back from the verdict, which unsurprisingly didn't take long. Bruce looked like he was going to be sick, or faint from exhaustion. Kato could not think of anything that would make his friend feel any better, when he himself felt the same on the inside.
The Judge came back in, and everyone stood up. He sat down in his chair and looked over at the jury. "Has the Jury come to an agreement?"
"We have, your honor."
"What say you?"
Kato and Bruce held their breath. They hoped for the best, but they knew that would never happen in this lifetime.
"In the case of the 3 'face skinnings', we find the defendant, the Joker, guilty of murder in the first degree. In the case of the other, more widespread 'face skinnings', we find the defendant, the Joker, guilty of murder in the first degree."
No one made a sound. Everyone knew it was the outcome, but the Joker seemed the most upset by the news, which only got worse by the Judge's final blow.
"Joker, you have been found guilty of several counts of first degree murder. By the city laws of Gotham and by it's people, your sentence shall be execution by lethal injection in three days time. May god have mercy on your soul. The court is adjourned."
The heavy gavel hit three times, ringing out a deafening sound. On the last knock, the Joker went wild. He screamed and sputtered "I didn't do it! It wasn't me! I'm not the one you want this time! You're all thieving morons! Can't you tell I didn't do it?!" A group of policemen grabbed a holed of him and began to haul the thrashing, frantic Clown towards the side door. Kato followed Bruce as he stood up and moved closer to the front to see the Joker again. He must have known, for when Bruce got close enough, Joker turned his head and gazed desperately at the billionaire. "It wasn't me! It wasn't me! It wasn't me!!" He chanted to Bruce and only Bruce. Kato saw the Wayne Heir reach a fruitless hand out and shout something, but he never heard it. The room was alive with excitement as the Joker was dragged out the door after shouting one last time to Bruce.
Then he was gone, and the room quieted down. Everyone shuffled out of there with big news to tell there friends and neighbors. Only two lowly figures stayed behind, this time sitting in the front row.
Neither one said anything, but Kato kept glancing at the other, feeling a heart broken pain radiate off the playboy. Kato felt just as lost and helpless, thinking about Britt Reid. Sitting here, it was much harder not to blame himself for having this befall the Green Hornet in the first place. He needed to get his mind off the 'woulda-coulda's', and onto the future of 'going to-will be's'.
"So," Kato said, breaking the sinking silence. "What do we do now?"
"We don't stop. Or give up. We find that bastard, and make him pay for what he's done. We find Britt and clear the Joker's name of this god-forsaken trial and sentence. I swear it." Kato turned and looked at Bruce who was speaking with a cracking soft voice, and saw a tear stream down his face. "I swear I'll save you, Joker. Even if it kills me."
Not while I'm around. Kato thought to himself. He didn't understand what was going on between Bruce and the Joker, but he was here to help, and by god that's what he's going to do.
Author: thesingingbush
Fandom: TDK, The Green Hornet
Disclaimer: I didn't see anything, I didn't hear anything, I didn't say anything, I didn't do anything, I don't own anything. As far as anyone's concerned, this is all a dream. Now try and sue that. XD
Characters/Pairings: Batman/Joker, Kato
Rating: PG-15
Prompt: Other Character PoV
Word Count: 6,496
Warning: Crossover,
Team: Knight
Summary: The Green Hornet has been kidnapped. All evidence leads Kato to Gotham city, and more exact, the Joker. But did the Clown really do it?
(A/N: Oh my GOD! This turned out waaay longer than I had ever intended. Sorry. I don't think it's as good near the end, because I got really tired by then, dammit. B[ Anyway, The Green Hornet. I love that show. Van Williams plays Britt Reid/the Green Hornet on the tv series, and Bruce Lee played Kato. Yes, THAT Bruce Lee. The one and only god of martial arts was on a super hero tv show during the same time period as Adam West's Batman. And of course, on Batman The Green Hornet and Kato both crossover in about two or three episodes. And then that famous fight scene between Robin and Kato turns up, where Robin is suppose to beat him. Pff! Right. Bruce Lee left the set he was so mad about it. And I don't blame him. But ANYWHO. If anyone wants to see a piccy of the two guys, just click here, or for a clearer shot, here. Oh, and this is a piccy of the Black Beauty. AND THIS IS THE REASON I DID THIS CROSSOVER IN THE FIRST PLACE. It makes sense, cuz it's semi canon. Also, sorry it's blurry. I have a black and white one that's better, but this one's more fun. ^w^)
((One of the inspirations to this story is that Batman comic called Devil's Advocate, and if you click on the name it will take you to the link from batmanjoker where I first looked at it. I've never read the whole thing--just what's on the site--so I don't know really what happens. Of course I added my own extreme twist on it, of course. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE comment if you liked it!! I love comments, and they are something I really look forward to on a regular basis. I'm not kidding. So please leave one!! Then I'll know I don't suck and fail completely. ^w^))
* * Prologue * *
He could hear shouting behind the closed doors. The sounds of shuffling feet followed soon after by banging furniture rumbled throughout the room. A struggle was breaking out.
Kato ran and kicked the double doors. They didn't open. He did it again and again, each time with more force. His desperation to break in there and help his comrade was great. It should have opened at the first kick, and when it didn't Kato knew there was something blocking the doorway. That infuriated him.
They had purposely locked it with a chair or something to keep him out of the way from whatever it was they were doing in there. Britt Reid (who is known as the Green Hornet) was a highly skilled martial arts fighter, and Kato was an elite master at it. Together they were a near unstoppable team. So it did make sense that an enemy would go out of their way to separate the two and go after the less skilled, yet more important vigilante and keep the other one at bay. But how they knew they were going to be here at this location, at this exact time, was so hard to fathom it just couldn't be possible. The only times they discussed it was at Reid's home or in the Black Beauty, and their would be no reason to bug him at his home because no one knew (aside from a selected few) his secret identity, and the Black Beauty always knew when it was being monitored against the Hornet's will.
But somehow they found out. And The Green Hornet had only been in there a few minutes, a few minutes, when a fight broke out. If the Green Hornet hadn't asked Kato to keep guard outside the office room, then he would have been in there with him, fighting at his side. How he wished he was inside.
Kato paused for just a moment when he distinctly heard the Green Hornet's sonic sting go off twice followed shortly by two electric explosions. Frantic lights flashed from every crack in the door. He heard screams this time, one of them he knew very well. There was the sound of some glass shattering and a mechanical laughter that greeted Kato as he yelled and gave one last, hard kick to the double doors that kept him out. They finally flew open, and the faithful valet only took one step forward before taking in what was left of the office room. And the objects that now resided in it.
It seemed like a surreal nightmare inside. The long tube fluorescent light bulbs from the ceiling flickered on and off every now and again exploding a shower of sparks. One of them hung down low swaying from side-to-side. A freshly gaping burnt hole covered the wall to Kato's left. Hundreds of fluttering cards rained down everywhere, it's origin seeming to come from no actual pinpoint location. Kato walked carefully into the room and snatched a card from the air and flipped it over. It was a Joker card. He grabbed another one, same thing, only the picture was slightly different. When he looked down he saw the floor was littered with them. The same type of playing card.
That was when Kato once again became aware of a tinny sounding cackle straight ahead. He looked up and saw a man seated in a luxurious chair behind a desk facing the grand scaled window onlooking the city. He was rocking back and forth, but otherwise gave no other indication of moving. The window nearest to the right had a large uneven hole, where a curtain was fluttering in and out of.
Kato tucked the cards into his pocket and approached the rocking man cautiously, not sure of what to expect. He brought his arms up in an attack position, preparing himself for any sudden movement.
But the man continued to rock in his chair, still laughing and never once turning around.
Kato knew there was something terribly wrong. The little chauffeur reached a hand onto the man's shoulder and the rocking stopped. Kato stepped closer and turned the man towards him. He swiveled easily and Kato stepped back. Another spark of light erupted showing the man in detail. He dropped his guard for just a moment, shocked at what he saw.
The man's face had been mutilated to being near unrecognizable. The skin around the lips was cut off, revealing both rows of teeth, jawbone, and the facial muscles up to the cheekbone in some grotesque smile. His eyelids had been removed up to the brow. The dead bloodshot eyes seemed to radiate a scream from within, holding the last memory forever captured in it's depths. A large knife was planted deep into the chest. Blood streamed down the face and soaked throughout the shirt and suit jacket he wore. Kato knew this man, but was relieved to see (from certain other defining parts) that this was not Mr. Reid.
The laughter continued from the ghastly face, seemingly from the dead man's mouth itself. Kato narrowed his eyes and pulled down the jaw with his gloved hand. Inside resting on the tongue was a little noise maker. He picked it up with his thumb and forefinger, examining it. The laugh it made seemed to be on a never ending loop, starting lower then ending high pitched, each duration lasting a mere second or two. He dropped it into his palm and crushed it. Silencing it for good.
He let the pieces fall to the floor through his fingers. Then something else on the floor caught his eye. He bent down and picked up a green hat with blood splattered on it. It was the Hornet's. The servant looked around again for anything else, and saw close by the sonic sting. He quickly picked it up and brought the items back to the window. The gun seemed fine, but where was the owner? Kato began to fear the worst, hoping his friend escaped, when he heard voices in the hall and the DC's police barged in, guns raised.
"Freeze!"
"Put your hands in the air!"
"Oh my god!"
"Look what he's done to Mr. Landyn!"
"He's armed! Drop your weapon!"
"He's gonna shoot!"
"Fire!"
Kato ducked behind the desk as the bullets shot all around him. He pulled the leather chair out then stood up and pushed the unfortunate man at the police, just enough to distract them as he turned and smashed through the glass window.
Getting safely to the ground after jumping out the window was easy.
Running back to the Chrysler Imperial dressed all in black through the dark of night even more so.
Kato drove off and led the cops on an elaborate chase when they caught up to him. It ended not soon enough when the squad cars crashed into each other in a pile up when Kato had Black Beauty spray and even sheet of slick ice.
The Green Hornet's sidekick drove out of town for a long trip to Gotham. He needed to talk to Batman about what happened here. The Joker was his nemesis, so why would he travel all the way out here to murder A CEO's vice-president in such a horrendous way, for no reason? But more importantly, why kidnap the Green Hornet who in the public's eye was just as evil as the Clown was? And how did he know they would be there? None of it made sense.
Kato had only met the Batman once before. Although the Bat also thought the two of them were criminals at first, Kato learned to trust and rely on the man himself when the Hornet held him in the highest regard and gave him nothing but praise. Kato trusted very few people, so when someone became worthy enough for that title, they meant the world to him and he would be loyal to them till the end.
And right now, Kato needed a friend more than ever to help save his closest companion.
* * 1 * *
The ride to Gotham felt longer than what he remembered. But it didn't matter now, he was there and he made his way to the MCU building from memory. He shut off the Black Beauty's green headlights and rigged it to 'silent running' as he moved through the streets. He parked the rolling arsenal in a secluded back alleyway near the building and locked it down.
Kato ran around the building until he spotted a substantial part. He looked around to make sure no one saw him, then spider crawled up the side with ease. When he reached the top he flipped over to land gracefully on the roof, but when he turned around he was startled to find the bat signal was nowhere in sight. Well now, that was unexpected.
He frowned and placed his hands on his hips, turning around more confused then before. He knew that there was a signal for him (for he thought it sort of comical at how they would call him on a clear night) and he was sure it was on this roof. Yet here he was, and there were spot lights, but not the one for the Batman. So, what now? Kato knew of no other way to contact him than this, because when he was here last, that's all anybody used.
He didn't have time for this. Every second wasted was a second closer to putting Britt in danger of the Joker's wrath. He needed to track down the Batman, and he'd just have to do it the old fashioned way; looking.
The Hornet's assistant moved to the ledge and propped one foot on it, taking out what looked like a thin piece of black paper with a green hornet on one side. He grabbed the edges in his fingers and pulled it apart, turning it into green binoculars. He set them up to his face and began to scan the decrepit city for any signs of the Bat. The binoculars he made himself, and they came equipped with extreme close up ability and heat censors. He turned his head slowly from one side to the other, making sure not to miss anything.
At first it seemed the Batman wasn't out tonight, but then he saw it. A flash of dark fabric swooping down, a very hard to read fast moving form that kept to the shadows. That was him. And he was surprisingly close by.
Kato cracked a half smile, but soon dropped it when he saw Batman was in trouble. Thugs from every angle surrounded him and charged. Kato didn't wait to see if the Dark Knight could handle it himself. He snapped his paper binoculars closed, tucked them back inside his uniform and slid back down the building the same side he came up from.
It didn't take him too long to sprint down one street to the next until he caught up with the vigilante. Without so much as another thought, Kato ran up and roundhouse kicked the first guy he came across in the face with a high pitched yell, knocking him out before he even hit the ground. Two other guys took notice of him and charged, trying to intimidate the little valet with their straight-forward threats and their big knives and swinging chains. Kato kept his footing light and controlled, watching their clumsy moves. The one with the chain swung it at him, and Kato side-stepped it with ease and struck out two unseen punches to the man's chest and intestines, letting out another high pitched yell. Before the man with the knife had a chance to react Kato moved in fast and grabbed his head and brought it down hard on his rising knee. There was a crack and the man dropped to the ground, his nose smashed in. The chain guy fell to his knees gasping for air, also down for the count.
A few more lowlifes took notice of the little wannabe hero and didn't like how easily he was taking them out one by one. Minus a few of them who couldn't escape Batman's wrath or who tried to attack him when his back was turned, the others went after the chauffeur in a circle and rushed at him at once.
Kato went on full speed, and all you could see was a black blur moving swiftly in the middle of the group, loud high pitched shrieking sounds and smacks of something hard breaking something else.
It took him 5 seconds to cause them all to either fall to the ground writhing in pain or be knocked out cold.
When they were all down Kato stood stock still in a guarding stance in the middle as if he hadn't moved at all. As he calmed himself down he looked up to see Batman staring at him in surprise, but not because of his fighting skills.
"Kato?" His voiced raised a little higher than usual at the question.
"Batman." He gave him a curt nod and stepped over a few bodies to approach the vigilante.
"What are you doing here? Where's--"
"I need your help. The Green Hornet has been kidnapped. Your Joker took him."
Batman stared at the Hornet's assistant for a moment, a mixture of disbelief and shock overtaking his chiseled features. "Are you sure it was the Joker?"
Kato pulled out the two playing cards he kept in his pocket and handed them to Batman. "I found those and many more in Mr. Landyn's office. He's the vice-president of a pharmaceutical company. The Green Hornet had reason to believe some of Mr. Landyn's employees were smuggling unsubscribed narcotics out to dealers in large quantities to sell on the streets. We went there to warn him about it, or even threaten him ourselves if we had to just to get him to take notice of the growing problem, when within minutes of being there we ran into trouble."
Batman turned the cards over slowly in his hands examining them carefully. "What happened in there?"
"I, uh..." Kato cleared his throat, a little uneasy about answering something he never actually witnessed. "I don't know fully. I was locked out, I couldn't get myself in right away when the fight started." Kato shamed himself for that. He couldn't forgive himself for not being there when Reid needed him most. But that wasn't important right now. What was, was telling Batman everything that he did see. "I finally got in, but the fight was long over. What was left over was a thoroughly trashed room, those Joker cards, and, Mr. Landyn himself."
Batman now looked at Kato's face quizzically. "He set up the whole thing?"
"No. He was killed. But it was in the way I found him that also lead me to believe it was the Clown's handy work. A knife was stabbed in his chest, his whole mouth looked like it had been ripped off into some sort of crude smile, and the eyelids were gone. Oh, and when I opened his mouth--"
"You found a small electronic device that sounded like laughter."
Now it was Kato's turn to stare at Batman in disbelief and shock. "Well, yes. But how did...?"
"We've been having the same type of bodies turning up at random places all through the city, with the same scenario that you just described." Batman sighed, and for the first time Kato noticed how tired the vigilante looked.
"Damn." He crushed the cards in is hands, his face becoming more rigid. "Damn damn damn. I tried to avoid it as long as I could...but now?"
Avoid it? Kato thought. Why would you avoid something like this? He narrowed his eyes at Batman for only a moment, then shook it off knowing he most likely meant something other than what it sounded like. He didn't like taking things out of context, so he dropped it.
"That far away...and Britt?" Batman seemed to come to some sort of a decision, Kato noticed from studying him. With an air of determination, the Dark Knight turned and walked swiftly deeper into the street towards the more tasteless part of Gotham. It took very little effort on Kato's part to catch up, and when he did he asked him "Where are we going?"
"To the Joker. I think it's about time I paid him a visit."
"Good. I have a few things that I wish to 'discuss' with him as well."
* * * * *
The Joker's hideout wasn't anything to brag about. In fact, to Kato it was the most sorry excuse for a building he had ever laid eyes on. Although, when it came to someone like the Joker, it was just the sort of place you'd expect to see him living in. So it wasn't all that big of a surprise to him when Batman took him there.
Batman slipped in silently, giving hand signals and gestures to Kato for him to do the same on the other side. Kato did, but that's where there teamwork ended. Kato knew Batman's technique of sticking to the shadows and listening in to the conversations of the people inside, eventually taking action and striking them down one by one when he got close enough.
But Kato had other plans. He didn't want to wait to strike at them one at a time, no matter how many were inside. He wanted the Joker, and he wasn't going to stop until he got his answers and the Green Hornet was safe. So he made a decision to waltz in there and take them down all at once, if he so had to. He was up to the challenge, and more than fully capable.
Kato snuck in through a window that once upon a time held glass and a frame and dropped to the floor in a crouch position. He threw his arms out to his sides for balance and stayed like that unmoving just to make sure no one saw him. Yet.
The room was relatively dark with barely any furniture. It looked more like an open warehouse with support beams planted all over the place than an actual room. All the furniture that did reside there was located right in the middle under two evenly spaced light bulbs. Kato ran quickly to one of the many support beams and pressed flatly against it. He peeked over the side and saw the Joker lounging lazily on a makeshift couch.
Along with 10 or more men wearing clown masks, thinly veiled masks or no masks at all. Just standing around making idle chitchat.
A bit more than what he thought would be there, but not a problem. They probably had weapons on them, but it could be dealt with.
Kato did his best to see if he could spot Batman, but for all his effort he couldn't see anything passed the light in the middle. He stopped dwelling on it and prepared himself for what he was about to do. He closed his eyes and thought about what the Joker did to the vice-president and what he might have already done to Reid. It cleared his mind and made his determination more focused. He was ready now.
Kato pushed himself away from the beam and out into the light. He hit one guy in the throat then kicked another guy in the chest knocking him back. He saw the look of surprise on the Joker and pulled out a green dart (which looked like a hornet) from his sleeve and chucked it at the Joker's hand which had been retrieving a gun from the inside of his coat pocket. The Clown cried out and dropped the gun pulling his hand in.
Kato's attention was then drawn to the other men now pulling their own weapons out. He made a stance and looked to the side, hands fisted. He waited for one of them to move then would strike. A guy with what looked like he was wearing a lady's stalking over his head with blue and red lightly painted above the eyes and over the mouth moved first, and the Valet grabbed his outstretched hand with the gun in it and swung it away from him just as he fired and hit another guy with no mask on. He threw his fist back and knocked it into the stalking man's face with a high pitched yell then grabbed him and threw the body away to some other henchmen who lost their balance.
He side kicked two guys behind him yelling then swung his other leg around and hit a masked clown square in the appendix then bounced on his other leg, ready for the next ape to try and get a hit in and fail miserably. It was most likely incredible to watch as this tiny black dressed man would throw a punch here, palm thrust there and several blinding fast kicks anywhere he could, caused all the bigger men surrounding him to fall to the floor like dominoes. He was a little blurred whirlwind in motion.
A few of them Kato hit a little too hard and they flew back and slid across the floor. Or hit a support beam. Either way, they were down.
Within record time they were all down, and without missing a beat Kato ran at the Joker, grabbed him by the collar and slammed him into a beam, pulling a dart out and threw his arm back to strike.
"KATO STOP!"
The Green Hornet's assistant stayed his hand and whipped his head around to the side. Batman stood with one arm outstretched, his eyes wide.
"Put it down, Kato. You've got him. Now let him breathe."
Kato looked back at the Joker and saw that his hand had moved on it's own from the madman's collar to his throat and was squeezing the life out of him. The Joker made some gurgling sounds and reached a hand up and clutched at Kato's chauffeur uniform and the other he placed over the vice grip on his throat. But he didn't fight him. He didn't struggle. He just stared into Kato's black eyes with a look of stunned fascination. Kato lowered the hand that held the dart, unable to let go nor tear his gaze away from the insane, yet rapidly unfocusing green eyes.
"Let him go, Kato. You're killing him! Is this really what you want? Let go."
But he couldn't.
This wasn't what he wanted. He doesn't kill unless he must, but even then he disliked it. Yet, he couldn't let go. Couldn't even do it as he saw the eyes roll back and the lids rapidly flutter. Not even when the purple gloved hands began to lose their grip and slip off.
Kato felt something gently squeeze his shoulder, then a low voice by his ear. "Kato." The Hornet's sidekick gasped and released his grip. He saw the Clown slump to the floor as he turned around and took a few steps away to try and control himself. He took several deep breaths and listened to the harsh coughing and haggard wheezing of the Joker behind him, and thought briefly about what he had almost done. The little fighter tightened his fists to stop the unwanted feeling he was getting.
He took a few more rhythmic breaths and felt his usual calm creep back into him. He let out a short sigh threw his nose and turned around, and did a double-take.
Batman was on his knees at the Joker's side with both of his arms cradling the other, his chin resting atop the Clown's head. He brought one hand up to touch the Joker's cheek then slid it up and combed through the green greasy hair, causing the Joker to look up into the Batman's eyes. Something was passing between them. Something, unspoken.
Something that made Kato feel extremely uncomfortable and out of place. As if he was watching something absolutely forbidden. The little man could only take so much in a day, so he cleared his throat as an alert to them that he was still in the room.
Batman looked up, then let go of the Joker with an abrupt stand and stepped back. Joker, for his part, fell over from his brace walking away and looked up at Batman with genuine hurt in his eyes. Kato felt dumbfounded. What the hell was going on?
When Joker's gaze turned to the chauffeur's presence, his whole demeanor changed drastically. He sat back on his elbows, crossing his ankles and gave the little man a once over while licking the corners of his scars. He grinned at Kato.
"Now don't tell me, lemme guess. You're either the flying mouse's sidekick, or his boy toy. With you're fighting skills, I'd say a point for sidekick, but that mask and getup? With him standing next to you, I bet you two make quite a stir at you're little S&M parties. Point for boy toy. So tell me, who ties who up?"
Batman kicked him in the side. "Shut up, Joker." The Clown just laughed it off.
"You're disgusting. I've come for the Green Hornet."
"Ooooh, looks like you've got competition there, eh Batsy? I've come for the Green Hornet! Is that what you're calling it now?!" The Joker rolled onto his back cackling at his own innuendo joke.
Batman kicked him harder this time. "I SAID SHUT UP!!"
The Joker ate up the hits he got as if Batman was simply rough housing with him in a playful way. He would swing and kick out at the Bat for good sport, but at some point in it the Joker's laughs turned into moans of...well, it didn't seem like pain anymore.
Kato was getting fed up with this. It was getting him nowhere, and he knew they were running out of time. He could feel it.
"Enough of this." Kato walked up to the Joker and hovered a foot above him. "Tell me clown, where are you keeping the Green Hornet? My patience is wearing thin, and I don't have all night."
"The green what?" The Joker rubbed one of his blackened eyes and looked up at Kato, bored with his insistent repetitive question. "Look Moo Goo Gai Pan, I don't know what you're talking about but I'm sure they have an ointment for that."
Kato looked at Batman, then brought his foot down on the Joker's throat knocking him flat. "Gak! The throat again?! What is it with you two?! I DO have other body parts that can be held down, you know."
"Answer us Joker, where is the Green Hornet?" Batman added in probably a bit louder than needed, but Kato didn't complain. "We know you have him, now where is he, and what is your new goal at attacking these people?"
"I honestly don't know what you two black birds are talking....Ohhhhh wait." Kato lifted his foot just an inch up and waited for what he had to say. "Do you mean ol' snot bug? Heeheehee, Yeah! I remember him! Haven't seen him in a while, and even then he never stayed for tea." Joker pushed Kato's foot out of the way and took a good look at the valet's face. Recognition softened his features as he smiled up at him again. "Heeey! I remember you now! You're the masked Bruce Lee wannabe, the slave to the snot bug! Say, how's life treating him these days? You clearly haven't changed. Just as cuddly, warm and funny as always."
Kato frowned down at him. What was this, a joke to him? Why was he acting like all of this was new to him? "Glad to know you remember me, but you still haven't answered my question."
"What, about where he is? How should I know, I'm not his keeper." Joker slid out from under his foot and began to fiddle with his collar. Kato was about to move when Batman stopped him. The vigilante frowned down at the madman who sat like a toddler on the floor, humming. "Are you telling us, that you have no idea where the Green Hornet's whereabouts are?"
Joker huffed and looked up at them both with annoyance. He then stood up with a short hop and wandered around them, checking with little interest how his men were faring on the floor. "Look Pooky, if I had known anything, don't you think I would have told you something by now? Or left some sort of hint, or calling card? You know me better than that."
"That's just it; you did leave something to track back to you." Batman pierced his lips and glanced at Kato briefly. "And don't call me 'Pooky'."
"Alright, alright fine. Sorry." He sighed dramatically. "Have to keep it a secret from all life forms and all, blah blah blah. I know." He stepped quickly up to Kato and hugged him from behind. "But it sure is fun to get you tinted red and flabbergasted!"
Kato grabbed the Joker's wrists and twisted them to get the Joker to spin around and pin his arms behind his back. "Don't touch me."
"Ow! Ahahaha! Okay-Ow! I got it, alright, let go!" Kato released him with a slight push. The Joker stumbled forward and nearly tripped over a body. He rubbed his arms and wrists and gave a pouting look to the two of them. "Geez, you'd think you enjoyed inflicting pain. Not that I'm complaaaiiniiiing!" He sing-songed.
"Waitwaitwait." Joker pointed a gloved finger at Batman. "You said I left something? What? And since when?"
Batman pulled out the crumbled cards and tossed them at the Clown. "Kato found several of those in Washington, along with the same mutilation markings that 6 others here in Gotham have. They all lead back to you."
Kato watched carefully as Joker straightened the cards out in his hands and studied each one. He saw the psycho's face drop and shift into a stern anger, and noted nonchalantly to himself how this facial appearance looked remarkably like Batman's typical one.
"These, are not my cards." He seethed through his teeth and if looks could kill, Batman would be dead where he stood. "What did the bodies that these rip offs were left at look like? TELL ME!!"
"Their mouths are cut to the cheekbone and the eyelids are removed." Kato spoke up first. He wasn't scared of the Clown, nor intimidated by him. Whatever he had to offer, Kato was confident enough in himself that he'd be able to counter it.
Which hopefully was a good thing, for now Joker turned slowly on his heel and bore flames in his eyes. "Also, they each carry a laughing mechanism that is placed in their mouths. And they're stabbed."
Joker growled deep in his throat and began a slow pacing in between Batman and Kato. Kato thought this normal, but saw from Batman's face that something else was up. "You didn't do it, did you?" Batman stated flatly. If it wasn't for the fact he said it with such assuredness, Kato would have argued the matter.
"Of course I didn't!" Joker spat out. "Ohhh, there are verrrry few things that truly upset me, and many things I can shrug off. But this? Some copycat going around doing foolish crimes that I wouldn't even give my funnybone to consider, and they are tarnishing my record by saying I did it?! That makes me mad."
"Then, who did it?" Kato couldn't help but ask. If it wasn't the Joker but someone pretending to be him, then he's no closer to finding the Green Hornet then when he was on his own, back in DC.
"I don't know, but we're going to have to find out."
"You bet your sweet ears we are!!" Joker turned and kicked one of his men in the head, which coincidentally knocked him back out when he was just starting to come to his senses. "Where do we start looking Puddin'?"
Kato shook his head and stared wide eyed at what the Joker meant. He's...going to help us??
Batman smiled wickedly at him, and before anymore was said or done, that oh so familiar sound of police sirens and a plethora of Gotham's finest broke in with only one warning to freeze, then they open fired on the three of them. Kato pushed Batman out of the way and ran into the shadows. He found the window he came in from and dived through it, all the while thinking Oh great, here I go again.
When he made it to the ground he ran to an alleyway and watched as the men in blue charged through the dilapidated building. He ran further away until a safe distance away from the police invasion. He felt a whiff of air next to him and turned to see Batman standing there. Kato was grateful to see him, although Batman did not look well.
"Is Joker with you?" He asked the valet desperately.
"No. I thought he went with you."
"No." The vigilante whispered. They both turned back to look in the direction of the flashing red and blue lights.
"Maybe,he's taken off on his own and will meet up with us later." Kato tried to think positive.
"Maybe, but I doubt it." They both knew. They didn't even bother to look for him close by, they could feel it. That horrible sense that something has backfired.
The Joker was arrested.
* * * * *
They sat in the back, each one quiet with their own thoughts to occupy them. Kato was grateful for Mr. Wayne to take him in and let him sleep in an actual bed instead of in the Black Beauty. He was also grateful he kept a change of clothes in the trunk of the Chrysler. Even though all he had to wear now was his black chauffeur uniform/crime fighting suit and the spare clothes which were a servants uniform, he didn't mind. Bruce Wayne just told anyone who asked about him that he was his new 'bodyguard', which was funny because that's what he was to Reid.
They sat next to each other in the courtroom, not paying all that much attention to anyone, except for the blonde haired, scarred faced man who was on trial in front of them.
What were they to do now? This situation kept getting worse, not better. They still didn't know anything about the Hornet's disappearance, except that the Joker didn't play a part in it. Kato's one suspect and he didn't even do it. And now they're at his trial for the 'face skinnings' (as the paper liked to call them now) which he also didn't do, but the outcome didn't look promising. The Clown's lawyer didn't try very hard for his defense, clearly believing he did it too.
Kato could see through the sea of heads that the Joker was wearing an orange jumpsuit and was handcuffed. Kato also noted with dry humor that he hadn't cracked one joke, or laugh. He didn't even smile. He was resting his head on the palm of one hand and strummed his fingers on the desk with the other. Whenever Kato could get a clear shot of him, he saw that the Joker was less than amused.
They had come back from the verdict, which unsurprisingly didn't take long. Bruce looked like he was going to be sick, or faint from exhaustion. Kato could not think of anything that would make his friend feel any better, when he himself felt the same on the inside.
The Judge came back in, and everyone stood up. He sat down in his chair and looked over at the jury. "Has the Jury come to an agreement?"
"We have, your honor."
"What say you?"
Kato and Bruce held their breath. They hoped for the best, but they knew that would never happen in this lifetime.
"In the case of the 3 'face skinnings', we find the defendant, the Joker, guilty of murder in the first degree. In the case of the other, more widespread 'face skinnings', we find the defendant, the Joker, guilty of murder in the first degree."
No one made a sound. Everyone knew it was the outcome, but the Joker seemed the most upset by the news, which only got worse by the Judge's final blow.
"Joker, you have been found guilty of several counts of first degree murder. By the city laws of Gotham and by it's people, your sentence shall be execution by lethal injection in three days time. May god have mercy on your soul. The court is adjourned."
The heavy gavel hit three times, ringing out a deafening sound. On the last knock, the Joker went wild. He screamed and sputtered "I didn't do it! It wasn't me! I'm not the one you want this time! You're all thieving morons! Can't you tell I didn't do it?!" A group of policemen grabbed a holed of him and began to haul the thrashing, frantic Clown towards the side door. Kato followed Bruce as he stood up and moved closer to the front to see the Joker again. He must have known, for when Bruce got close enough, Joker turned his head and gazed desperately at the billionaire. "It wasn't me! It wasn't me! It wasn't me!!" He chanted to Bruce and only Bruce. Kato saw the Wayne Heir reach a fruitless hand out and shout something, but he never heard it. The room was alive with excitement as the Joker was dragged out the door after shouting one last time to Bruce.
Then he was gone, and the room quieted down. Everyone shuffled out of there with big news to tell there friends and neighbors. Only two lowly figures stayed behind, this time sitting in the front row.
Neither one said anything, but Kato kept glancing at the other, feeling a heart broken pain radiate off the playboy. Kato felt just as lost and helpless, thinking about Britt Reid. Sitting here, it was much harder not to blame himself for having this befall the Green Hornet in the first place. He needed to get his mind off the 'woulda-coulda's', and onto the future of 'going to-will be's'.
"So," Kato said, breaking the sinking silence. "What do we do now?"
"We don't stop. Or give up. We find that bastard, and make him pay for what he's done. We find Britt and clear the Joker's name of this god-forsaken trial and sentence. I swear it." Kato turned and looked at Bruce who was speaking with a cracking soft voice, and saw a tear stream down his face. "I swear I'll save you, Joker. Even if it kills me."
Not while I'm around. Kato thought to himself. He didn't understand what was going on between Bruce and the Joker, but he was here to help, and by god that's what he's going to do.