>>>>Several Minutes Earlier<<<<
Gotham Ferguson Bank, a bank second to Gotham's National Bank was a place known for its professionalism and friendliness that keeps citizens coming back to use their services. However, most people don't know that the bank happens to be a part of a mob trading route and keeps a lot of the mob's money in its vault downstairs.
(A/N: doesn't exist but it does now in my writing! xD back to story)
The giant metal vault is lined up with security systems that can generate volts up to as high 5,000 to deter any type of robbers.
The information was wildly known to the criminals of Gotham, and no one would dare try to steal from the mob.
No one until today.
The Joker needed more funds to rebuild what was destroyed several days ago, but also he felt like burning off a little steam. He took what henchmen he had and boarded a clown-themed bus that slammed right into the bank like a mad man.
After they entered, Joker's henchmen quickly hopped out with their guns and started either killing or knocking out anyone that was in there way.
Once they had everything under control, they placed everyone on the lobby floor and tied them up together with rope.
"Well, hello my lovely audience!" Joker shouted, jumping out from the driver's seat of the bus.
"Forgive me for the mess, I've been a bit down the past couple of days. My girlfriend left me...and she threw my toys away!" He dramatically said as he casually walked over the dead bodies and rubble.
"Ah! But you know what would cheer me up? I would love and I mean LOVE to get a lot of those things back. But oh my what's this." He digs in his pockets, revealing them to be empty.
"I seem to have no money! Would anyone like to spare me some change? More importantly, someone that is the manager?" He grinned, looking at the frightened workers and unfortunate people who happened to be at the bank.
No one would answer him.
"Well..." Joker shook his head, sighing with his left hand covering his face.
Suddenly, however.
*Bang!* Joker had pulled out a pistol from underneath his jacket and shot a man in between his eyes, killing him instantly.
"I would like to make a complaint now. Let me see your manager. Hahahaha!"
One female was so terrified that she immediately pointed out the manager who was a middle-aged man with gray hair and glasses.
"Thank you!" Joker said, pulling the man to his feet. "You know you are one of the good ones. I think...I'll kill you last! How does that sound?"
*Crash!* Suddenly, the glass rooftop shattered, revealing the Gotham City's protector.
Normally, he wouldn't have entered this way, but he wasn't thinking quite straight after seeing Diana so injured the other day.
'...Not now Bruce...Focus..' He thought as he landed on top of Joker's henchmen, knocking him out with a blow to the head. Even before the other henchmen reacted, he would move to throw a Batarang in all directions to knock the guns of their hands, quickly making the fight a hand-to-hand battle.
Something he was an expert at.
However, before he could knock out the last henchmen, he'd heard a clicking noise that sounded like a gun being prepared to fire.
"Ah, Batman..." Joker sighed, wrapping his arm around the frightened bank manager as he pointed a gun at his head. "You really shouldn't have come tonight. I was planning on being alone tonight...you know to clear my head." He pouted before laughing hysterically.
"Let him go, Joker!" Batman growled as threw the last henchmen away.
"Oh dear me. You aren't even going to ask me what is wrong? I knew you were cold, but not heartless, Batman." Joker said while pretending to cry.
"It's like my mother always said, never trust a man in a giant bat suit. You'll care about me, right? Eh..." He pauses to check the man's name tag.
"Robert! I'll call you Robby. Is that fine Robby?" Joker asked as the man quickly nodded his head.
During this time, a few of the henchmen hobbled to their feet, grabbing their guns before pointing them at the tied-up people they had sitting on the floor.
Two of the henchmen that managed to get up would walk behind Joker after he motioned for them.
"Now, Robby. Since we are such good friends. I need you to do a teeeeny teeeenny favor for me and I'll let everyone go just like the big bad bat said. Would you do that for me?" The villain said as Robert nodded once more, trying his best to hold it together.
"Fantastic! Let's go!" Joker grinned as he started to walk the man to the downward staircase that leads to the vault with his two henchmen behind him.
"And oh! Before I go." Joker snaps his finger and the side door of the bus would open revealing two quite large hyenas that leaped out into the bank lobby's floor.
"While we wait, why not put on a show for the boys. They deserve a good laugh or two after what we have been through...HAHAHAHA. See you in a bit, Batsy!" He said before disappearing down the staircase with Robert.
As soon as they left, the two hyenas would begin to attack Batman with the intent of tearing them apart. Bud and Lou have been quite irritable without their caretaker Harley, and Joker wasn't feeding them as much anymore.
So, seeing Batman was like seeing a meal!
Bruce has dealt with these two several times, but it was strange seeing them without their caretaker Harley.
'No matter...I'll end this quickly...' Bruce thought as he dodged the lunge from one while kicking the other in the face, knocking it away.
They were just animals, it was a simple task to take them out as he tangled with the hyenas numerous times.
But then he sensed movement...
From above!
"Momma's here!!"
>>>>Present<<<<
Bruce heard a familiar voice, and looked to see Harley without her normal outfit on, dropping from the entrance he made earlier with someone...carrying her?
The henchmen weren't idle this time and quickly aimed and fired their guns at them.
However, Ethan reacted faster and took a deep breath before blowing out golden hot fire that melted the bullets on contact until they landed safely on the floor.
"Ethan?... You...You're with Harley? What are you doing?!" Bruce said, noticing his outfit as it was still fresh in his mind. 'But who was that other man?... Was it...a disguise?'
However, before Ethan even answered he'd let go of Harley and became a blur, knocking out the henchmen within a blink of an eye, using considerably more force as they were sent crashing into walls
They weren't dead, but if they didn't receive medical attention soon, then they would die from internal bleeding within the hour.
Ethan was yet to be comfortable with taking people's lives, but this way seemed the most comfortable for him now.
Although he knows that one day, he'll have to cross that line. You can't ride the line between hero and villain without dipping your fingers into either side.
Once the conflict was over, Harley immediately ran over to Bud and Lou who had stopped their attack on Batman after hearing her voice.
"Hehehe!" They both made their laughing noise as they ran over to the woman they bonded with for the past several years.
"My babies!~" The villainess got down on her knees and cuddled the two unlikely pets as they greeted her with licks to the face.
As they had their touching reunion, Ethan would free the hostages and they would thank him before dashing out of the bank where the police were finally showing up.
"Ethan! What are you-"
"I heard you the first time," Ethan said, throwing off his hood to reveal his face. He already made the decision not to care what happens next when he leaped inside the building, knowing full well that Batman would recognize him.
"What are you doing with a criminal! She's the Joker's-"
"Let me stop you right there, Bats." The villainess interrupted as she petted Bud and Lou.
Harley then slowly got up and walked over to Ethan, "I'm not associated with whoever that face is anymore."
"I got myself a new man~"
"You what?!" Joker shouted after he overheard them talking. He was making his way up the stairs with his henchmen carrying bags of money as he dragged Robert by his side.
"Speak of the devil," Harley smirked.
The Joker would look Ethan up and down before saying, "You left me?! For this?! Oh, how low you've fallen girl. It would seem that you're crazier then I am. Here I'll let you choose again." He said, aiming his gun at Ethan's head.
*Bang* The singular bullet, traveled at incredible speeds, flying towards Ethan's head to end his life.
However, Ethan simply raised his hand, and...
*Thud* He caught it in between his fingers before crushing it into powder.
"Bullets don't work on Honeybun~" Harley smiled as she held his face and kissed his lips passionately in front of everyone.
The action would stun everyone, especially Joker as he saw that there was no hesitation. Harley has been known to leave and come back to him because she was crazy about him, but right now he could see that she was crazy for someone else.
The villain could see it in her eyes from the way she looked at him. 'That bastard!! She's my plaything!... Well if bullets don't work.. then surely gas will!'
"...And even if you were the last man on the planet...I'd kill you cold blood." She scowled, tightening her grip on her baseball bat.
Harley knew that Ethan was practically invincible, but how would you take it if someone tried to take your lover's life?
"Honeybun...you said you don't mind if I killed right?"