Gotham City
12:31 AM

It was quiet.

In all the years… in all of the long years that the Batman had been protecting the streets of Gotham City, it was finally quiet. Completely and irrevocably… quiet. The Dark Knight stood atop Wayne Tower, a single strike of lightning silhouetting him again the night sky. Finally, after all those years, it was done. Every villain in Gotham had finally been captured. Poison Ivy, The Riddler, Two-Face… The Joker… They were all finally, safely behind the bars of Arkham Asylum. A random donation from Gotham’s billionaire Bruce Wayne had ensured a timely upgrade for Arkham’s facilities, altering it from the simple warehouse for the Criminally Insane to a High Tech Super-prison designed for one thing: To keep Super villains where they belong. The Batman knew this was something that could not, and would not, last for long, but, for once, he was optimistic. He felt that the future, however darkened by the plots and plans of the villains of Arkham, would be a bright one. A shriek of terror emitted from the streets below him, and as he turned his eyes upon the simple thief running from a convenience store, he was filled with a mixture of relief and longing. Nostalgia, it seemed, was a double edged sword. He gave a soft chuckle as he tipped forward, free falling from the top of the tower, swooping in on a life of contentment. A life, he hoped, would be more normal than he had ever experienced.

Arkham Asylum
12:31 AM:
The soft hum resonated throughout the reconstructed walls of Arkham Asylum. The walls were crystalline white, pristine in their renovations. Guards, though fairly outdated with the new model of the Asylum, marched diligently up and down the hallways, each preoccupied and utterly sure of his safety. Naivety was always an interesting and entertaining human trait. A trait that The Joker always enjoyed. It gave the punch line a much bigger impact. At least, he liked to think so. A small click issued at the door of his cell, the padded walls providing for very little acoustics, but he could hear that click. The silence was always present for him. His room allowed absolutely no sound. No light. No hope. Well, that was the point anyway. The click was followed by a series of beeps, each altering in pitch, the door releasing a pressure lock, the lights flickering into existence. The room seemed to have an odd red tint to it. Was that what happened when you were accustomed to the dark for so long? A guard appeared in the open doorway, a small tray in his right hand. The chains rattled around the Joker as he gave a soft motion, his arms straining against his straight jacket, though he knew it wouldn’t give. He’d grown used to the stiff, constant aching brought about from that accursed jacket. “Ok, clown. It’s time to eat”, said the guard, his voice gruff and oh-so manly. The Joker’s mouth curved momentarily into a grin before splitting open into a cavernous yawn. The moment his lips closed, his voice issued forth, broken and unused, but still so distinctly Joker. “Hm... I’m sorry, but this joke’s growing old. HARLEEEEY!” he said, his eyes casting up, the red-suited gymnast hanging deftly from the light above him. “Here we go, Puddin’!” she cried, and she released her hands, a hammer falling on either side of the guard’s skull, ending his pathetic existence instantly. As Harley fell, a second guard rushed forth, and she gave a beaming grin. “Nuh-uh, Mr. Man!” she said, and she leapt into the air, her feet connecting solidly with his chest, sending him through the door of the cell across the hall. From there, it was only a matter of seconds before Harley’s hammer had knocked several holes in the wall, freeing her beloved Mr. J from the chains around him. It seemed he’d taken care of the straight jacket quickly enough, and with a quick crack of his neck, he straightened his suit. Harley’s squeal of joy was perhaps the loudest thing in the prison as she flung herself onto the Joker, who welcomed her with open arms. “Well done, Harl.” he said in a coo, and with a huge grin, Harley vanished from the cell.

The Joker stood in cell for only a few moments, his hands gliding over the surface of his suit, smoothing the wrinkles and all in all making up before stepping into the hall, his Comedic Queen standing at the end, a massive hammer over her shoulder, guards sprawled around her, blood lining the once immaculately white walls, her grin spanning the distance from wall to wall. The Joker’s face, for once, was emotionless, devoid of a smile, and he neatly folded his hands behind his back, taking short, measured steps down the hallway, taking in the face of each guard in turn. Finally, he found the one he wanted. His guard from yesterday. His knees bent softly as he brought his face dangerously close to the man’s own visage, their noses touching in the proximity. “Yooou….” he hissed, his voice laced with venom. “I. HATE. MACARONI AND CHEESE!” he said, and with that, he stood and kicked the man solidly in the face. Thoroughly satisfied, he joined Harley and the two rounded the corner.

Arkham Asylum
Control Room
1:02 AM
Breaking out of Arkham certainly wasn’t what it used to be. The Joker had found his path laced with obstacles. Like walls. Walls were a problem. The previous walls could be dug under, and the new Arkham had compensated for this issue. And so the two had made their way through the building to the control room. Luckily, this wall was much thinner, and posed no problem for Harley and her hammer. The moment they entered the room, Harley dispatched the guards, and the Joker stepped up to the control board. His left hand rose, index finger and thumb tracing along the unique curvature of his chin. For a moment his face said only concentration, and in the next, his trademark smile returned. His hands rolled up his sleeves as he spoke. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. I’m a professional.”, he said. His hands hovered over the keys for a moment before, quite literally, his fingers seized, pressing nearly every key simultaneously, his arms flailing wildly. The entire building seemed to shudder beneath his touch, and as if on a cue from a conductor, every door on the building exploded off its hinges. Electrical fires instantly broke out all over the Asylum, and with a haughty grin, Mr. J turned to Harley, and hand in hand, they strolled through the flames, out of Arkham, and on to freedom.

================================================

Before the wicked and unknowing hands of the Joker, the inmates of Arkham have been set free, and the building itself has been destroyed. Slowly but surely, many of the villains have been setting up their own factions within the walls of Gotham City, each one opposing not only the Batman and the Gotham Police, but each other as well. Where do you fall upon this spectrum of chaos? Do you take the role of a villain, vying for control of Gotham? Or do you take the side of the Batman and his allies, trying desperately to restore order in a world without rules. In this new world, there is no mercy, there is no quarter, and there is No Escape.