The Joker licked his lips as Venom surrounded him, snarling back. As Venom prepared to charge, Joker held the knife tighter to Harley Quinn's neck. "How fascinating Eddie! Your hunger for violence v.s your comrades life!" Venom hesitated to attack Joker as Joker sniggered at Venom's mercy. While Venom wouldn't attack the Clown Prince of Crime, his muscles shook with anger and anxiety and his symbiotic face had become a mass of pure hatred and terror. In a flash of an instant, Joker blasted Venom with a shot from his heat vision.
Venom was knocked into the walls of the cell, digging himself out and barely with enough energy to stand. Before he could ready himself, Joker flew into him carrying him high into the air before slamming him to the ground, beating him to a pulp. "Kent really did have it made...The powers of a God, wrapped up into a handsome package for your convenience!" Joker laughed manically, before grabbing Venom by his neck and licking his lips hungrily. "I could do this all day, but I'm getting awful hungry. Say "Hi" to Batsy for me!"
"TELL HIM YOURSELF!!!" roared an aggressive and violent sounding female voice. The Joker was immediately hit by a thick vine which wrapped around his neck, as he was held above the ground and slowly strangled. Out of the darkness came a rather vengeful and rage fueled looking Poison Ivy. On her face was a small smile, but not of of mere mischief or victory...This was a smile filled with venom, joy at watching the Joker suffer. "It's a shame Joker...I originally envisioned this moment differently, me feeding you to my babies and watching you squirm inside them."
Joker laughed in pain, as he tore through the vines like they were cardboard. Ivy fell to the ground in pain, looking like she had just suffered a heart attack. The Joker picked up his knife as he slowly walked to his plant-like adversary. "It will be painful Ivy, I promise you...But what was that you said earlier...'I'll enjoy watching you squirm..."
Before Joker could get to Ivy, a green form sprouted from the ground, punching The Joker in the ground, and firing a heat blast at the deranged psychopath, driving him into the ground. This was Martian Manhunter, leading the assault on the mutated criminal. The Joker got up slowly, wiping blood of his mouth. "Tell me J'onnz...Was that one for Superman, or Batman? Or was it just for the poor saps who they couldn't save? If so, I'd suggest you hit a bit harder!"
Martian Manhunter broke his passive expression, roaring in rage as he grabbed The Joker by his neck. "You don't deserve to be ALIVE!!!" He bellowed uncharacteristically, as he threw The Joker threw the wall, causing him to crash through the rocky barrier. As he got up, The Joker charged at Martian Manhunter, the two firing their heat vision as the blasts clashed with each other in a great spectacle of light. The Joker's blast ended up overcoming J'onnz as the alien hero was blasted away.
As J'onnz got up to re-engage The Joker, the maniac smacked J'onnz head away, forcing his face into the bars of the cell, before throwing him up at the ceiling. Martian Manhunter had trouble getting up, as it seemed that The Joker's newly bestowed strength was giving him the edge as he got on all fours, charging the downed Martian Manhunter. Just as The Joker was about to reach him, J'onnz fired a concentrated heat vision blast into The Joker's leg, using all the energy he had. The Joker screamed in pain as the blast ripped through his leg, bringing him down.
The rest of the team arrived, Captain America helped Martian Manhunter up. "Nice job with The Joker..." Rogers said, patting J'onnz on the back. Martian Manhunter rubbed the back of his head, as he looked at Captain America with tears in his eyes. "...He almost broke me...But I suppose it's easy to lose our moral code in these troubling times." Rogers nodded. Venom helped Harley get up, as she smiled widely at the anti-hero. Before Venom could say anything, he was met with a warm hug from Harley. "Thank you SO much Eddie!! Oh Eddie, I don't know what dat thing was, but it wasn't my puddin!" Venom was taken aback by the gesture, but eventually hugged Harley back, reverting to human form. "He was always a monster...Don't worry Harley...He can't hurt you anymore, you're free of his shackles."
Spider-Man approached Ivy about to say something, when Ivy pushed him away. "Red, can we talk?" Parker asked shyly. Ivy closed her eyes and sighed. "I said I shouldn't have kissed you, and I stand by that. The Joker would've killed you if you came, so I suppose we're even in the "saving lives" department." Ivy walked away, as Spider-Man was left silent and taken aback.
Rorschach approached The Joker slowly, watching in disgust as the villain gargled on his own blood. "An abomination if I ever saw one..." Rorschach shook his head as he looked at the monstrosity. This caused The Joker to laugh even more, a horrible, deep laugh that was saturated in blood and bile. "You know...When it came down to it, J'onnz didn't have it in him to kill me...But we both now that 'till the straw man is pushing daisies, more people will die. But isn't it adorable? Watching you boy scouts skip in your big boy pajamas, thinking you're helping the world. It's just so..." Before The Joker could finish, Rorschach whipped out his grappling gun and fired it into The Joker's chest, making a terrible ripping noise. The rest of the team turned around to see Rorschach extinguishing The Joker from life.
Captain America ran to Rorschach and slapped him in the face. "You murdering little rat!!" he screamed, grabbing Rorschach by the collar. "If we're going around killing unarmed enemies, how are we any..." Rorschach shoved Captain America away, turning around. "Save it!! I'm done with your liberal nature Rogers. You are an ignorant child. You think you can save the world, but you can't. Not this way. Not until the sewers fill with blood, and every sack of filth associated with Scarecrow screams out in agony. Maybe your way is easier, but I prefer results to the facade of achievement or victory. No Rogers, we are better than The Regime. Because there is good...And there is evil...And evil must be punished."
Captain America shook his head, putting his hand on Rorschach's shoulder. "Rorschach...You can't just..." Rorschach walked away from Captain America, walking to the gateway of the prison, and surveying the team. "I'm going to end this, once and for all. The murderers and the whores can stay here..." Rorschach spat coldly, eyeing the former-villains in particular. "...The boy scouts will give you refuge till you decide to reveal your true natures. But for those who want true justice, who want to stop this Regime, step forward!"
There was a silence among the team. Slowly, Moon Knight stepped forward to approach Rorschach. After Moon Knight, Jason Todd, Agent Venom and Johnny Blaze joined him. The five vigilantes lined up together, as Rorschach addressed the Gotham City 21 for the last time. "We are the Rage of Gotham, and it's time to take fate into our own hands...No matter how many fools die in the process. Stay out of our way, or be washed away with the other filth...It makes no difference to me...And I'll particularly enjoy getting rid of you Rogers...But not before you beg."
With that, Rorschach and the rest of the Rage of Gotham walked away, leaving the Gotham City 21 (Now Gotham City 16) filled with doubt and fear.
To be continued in Gotham City 21 Civil War: Chapter #2: Rage of Gotham
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