Chapter 90: Chapter 90 (edited)
The arrival of Kara and Bruce immediately shifted the odds in favor of the police. The two swiftly disabled the two trucks escorting Harvey in their unique ways, leaving only the Joker's truck ahead.
However, Joker was no easy opponent. Noticing the two Batmobiles—one sleek silver-gray, the other classic black, piloted by a man and a woman—approaching from opposite sides, he let out his signature maniacal laugh. Calm and unfazed, Joker raised an RPG launcher and aimed it at the truck transporting Harvey.
Bruce reacted instantly, launching his vehicle over a nearby police car to intercept the rocket with his tank. The explosion left his tank immobilized, but Bruce emerged unharmed.
Kara scanned the scene, confirming Bruce was fine but his tank beyond repair. Fortunately, both had motorcycles hidden within their respective vehicles. Kara's silver-gray bike roared to life, and Bruce soon followed, his black motorcycle matching her pace.
Riding side by side, the two exchanged nods. Despite their differences, their radios and shared goal bridged any gaps in coordination.
"Kara, don't kill him. We'll use a steel wire with a tensile strength exceeding thirty tons to drag him out of the truck," Bruce instructed, his tone calm but firm. As the mastermind behind their equipment, he was well aware of its capabilities.
Kara sighed but complied. "Got it. But you owe me a fix for my tank." She felt a twinge of annoyance—her vehicle had been destroyed before she'd even had a chance to showcase it properly. Luckily, Bruce didn't seem to know why it had been wrecked.
Bruce readily agreed. To him, this was a minor issue—money could solve most problems.
Splitting up, Kara and Bruce advanced on Joker's truck from opposite directions. Joker, seemingly agitated, moved erratically inside, though his chaotic demeanor masked a calculated madness. Underestimating him was always a mistake—even Kara and Bruce weren't exempt.
Approaching the truck, they each used their motorcycles' weapon systems to anchor the steel wires to the rear axle. Working in tandem, they laid several more lengths of wire on both sides of the truck, securing them to nearby load-bearing pillars within the underground tunnel.
Stopping their bikes, they braced themselves. The wires stretched taut, groaning under the strain before ripping the truck's rear compartment clean off. The front of the truck sped forward, but the dislodged cargo area flipped violently, leaving Joker and his men inside unconscious.
Police forces, already positioned ahead, swiftly subdued those in the truck's cab. Meanwhile, Bruce drove towards the detached compartment, where Commissioner Gordon unexpectedly emerged from the shadows with a squad of officers.
Gordon had faked his death earlier, wearing body armor to shield himself when taking a bullet for another officer. Operating behind the scenes, he had collaborated with Bruce to devise the operation, keeping even Harvey in the dark.
Kara, observing from a distance, decided not to intervene. Without so much as a farewell, she revved her engine and vanished into the darkness, leaving Bruce and Gordon to handle the situation.
Gordon, noticing Kara's departure, chose not to comment, focusing instead on apprehending Joker. Despite being thrown around the truck during the crash, Joker managed to stumble out, clutching a gun. Standing in the middle of the road, he spread his arms wide in mock surrender.
"Come on, hit me! Do it!" Joker taunted, a twisted grin plastered across his face.
From a distance, Kara resisted the urge to turn back. If Joker had dared her like that, she wouldn't have hesitated to run him down. But Bruce, bound by his moral code, hesitated. Hitting Joker would mean abandoning his principles—the very core of what made him Batman.
Swerving at the last moment, Bruce avoided Joker, causing his motorcycle to skid and crash. Seizing the opportunity, Joker's henchmen moved in to subdue him.
Kara shook her head in mild exasperation but didn't slow down. She trusted Gordon to handle Joker and knew Bruce would ultimately be fine. Accelerating, she disappeared into the distance, leaving Gotham's madness behind.
As expected, Gordon arrived just in time to capture Joker and his remaining crew. Harvey, unharmed but visibly shaken, was freed. Seeing Gordon alive shocked Harvey, who had been unaware of his role in the operation.
Despite Joker's capture, Kara couldn't shake a nagging feeling. Joker wasn't the type to be outsmarted so easily. His earlier behavior—waiting patiently with the RPG—suggested he had anticipated their moves.
Kara muttered to herself, her unease growing. "This feels off. Joker's never this straightforward. Bruce, be careful. I think this might be a trap."
Her words went unanswered over the radio. Little did she know, Bruce had already been drawn deeper into Joker's twisted game, his resolve and morality tested once again.
Chapter 91: Chapter 91 (edited)
Kara was running fast on the street, heading straight to Jennifer's house.
As for the Joker's arrest on the other side of the city, it had nothing to do with her. If they couldn't catch the Joker with this plan, then those people might as well give up. Fortunately, that wasn't the case. Word came through that Joker had indeed been captured.
Bruce, however, still hadn't made up his mind to face the Joker directly. Even though he wanted to, Kara understood the reason for his hesitation. If Bruce killed the Joker, his moral foundation would collapse. And if that happened, the Joker's true plan would succeed.
Even though there was no Joker toxin involved, the collapse of Bruce's moral code would be devastating. His sense of justice, his adherence to morality, and his belief in the law would all unravel, turning him into something unrecognizable—something dangerous. Kara knew all too well the implications of a Batman without his strict moral compass.
The Laughing Bat was a grim reminder of this, having destroyed his own universe and wiped out the Justice League members in his madness. Kara shuddered to think what could happen if Bruce took that path here. Even she might find it difficult to handle him.
When she and Bruce had argued earlier, she'd made it clear that while she respected his beliefs, she didn't share them. She could admire his ideals without following the same path. In truth, she was always cautious around him, fearing that a misstep might drive him toward madness. Batman was a man of extremes, and Kara didn't want to push him over the edge.
Fortunately, Bruce still clung to his principles. He remained steadfast, and for that, Kara felt relieved. Watching the Gotham skyline from the window, she thought to herself that Batman truly was the benchmark of justice. It wasn't just a compliment; it was a fact. Kara couldn't emulate that kind of restraint. Had Bruce not repeatedly told her to leave the Joker alive, she might have killed him already.
As she stood there, deep in thought, Jennifer came up from behind and handed her a glass of water. Kara turned to glance at the door, her thoughts drifting.
Alfred had already left after confirming Kara's safety. He was also worried about Bruce—specifically, whether he had been injured again. Why "again"? Because every time Bruce put on the cape, he seemed to come back battered and bruised. Fighting Gotham's gangs, who practically ruled the city's underground, was a dangerous endeavor.
"Alfred didn't say anything, did he?" Kara asked, suddenly feeling a twinge of guilt.
Jennifer gave her a dumbfounded look, recalling how she and Alfred had watched Kara take off on a motorcycle, abandoning the Batmobile in the process.
"He didn't say much, but I could see he was stunned. Honestly, so am I. What happened out there? Why'd you ditch the Batmobile?" Jennifer asked, genuinely curious.
Kara wanted to say she'd hit the wrong button and accidentally ejected herself. But that would be too embarrassing to admit. Instead, she waved her hand dismissively.
"It's late. Let's get some rest. Come on, I'll keep you company," Kara said, trying to change the subject.
Jennifer rolled her eyes. "You say that like people aren't going to get the wrong idea."
The two best friends shared a laugh and were about to settle in for the night when Kara suddenly froze. Her super-precognition had activated without warning.
The ability wasn't something she could fully control, and its origin remained a mystery. Was it tied to the magic she'd been studying? Or was it a latent power that had simply awakened one day? Even Clark, who had practiced magic alongside her, never developed such an ability. Kara was the only one who occasionally saw glimpses of the future.
This time, the vision was horrifying. She saw flames consuming both Rachel and Harvey. Joker had planned for this all along. His capture had been a ruse, a distraction to carry out his real plan.
Kara slapped her forehead in frustration, startling Jennifer, who turned to her in confusion.
"Kara, what's wrong?" Jennifer asked, worried. She reached for her phone, thinking Kara might need medical help, but before she could make the call, Kara's phone rang.
It was Bruce.
"Kara," Bruce's voice came through, filled with urgency.
Before he could say more, Kara interrupted him. "Rachel and Harvey are missing, aren't they?"
"How do you know?" Bruce asked, startled. But there was no time to question her foresight. "Kara, I need your help. Please—no, I'm begging you. Help me save Rachel."
The desperation in his voice was palpable. Kara sighed deeply, already preparing herself to act. She couldn't let Bruce fail—not just for his sake, but for the sake of the entire city. The consequences of failure were too severe.
But Bruce, perhaps misinterpreting her silence, added, "Kara, Rachel rejected me. She chose Harvey. She even accepted his proposal earlier today. So this isn't about personal feelings anymore. I'll save Harvey. You save Rachel."
Kara glanced at Jennifer, who raised her hands in mock surrender. "Why are you looking at me? This isn't my business," Jennifer said with a smirk.
Rolling her eyes, Kara picked up her gear. "All right, I'm on my way," she said, ending the call.
Time was running out, and the stakes had never been higher.
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