The Killing Joke: Role Reversal Part 1

"The Killing Joke" marks one of the great turning points in the history of the Bat-Family. It is also one of the most disturbing tales ever told. So I was wondering, what would have happened if it wasn't Barbara who answered the door? Just an advisory: If you have read "The Killing Joke" be prepared for some of what you are about to read.

"The Killing Joke: Role Reversal"

All it takes is for a single moment to change the fabric of the universe.

"Barbara I think something is burning."

Barbara puts her cup on the table. "I forgot to turn off the stove!" She rushes into the kitchen.

James Gordon smiles briefly. "Sweet Barbara, you have many talents but-"

The doorbell rings.

"Dad could you get that? It's probably Colleen for yoga."

Gordon gets up to answer the door. When he opens it Joker is dressed in shorts and a tropical T-shirt with a camera around his neck. A gun is leveled at his middle. Before Gordon can react the Joker shoots him in the middle. Gordon screams as he falls back and smashes into the glass table.

"Daddy!" Barbara screams as she tries to rush to her father's aid. But two goons grab her and one knocks her out with his fist.

Gordon is finding it hard to breath. "Barbara!" He looks frantically to Joker. "Please finish me off! Leave my daughter out of this!"

The Joker begins to laugh maniacally. "No my dear Commissioner! She is the star of my show!"

His face floats away. Gordon struggles weakly as his clothes are ripped off. The last thing he sees are flashes going off.

...

Gordon sees bright sterile lights all around him. Voices are floating above above his head. Bullock is talking to someone. He feels the touch of a leathery glove on his cheek. Gordon suddenly bolts forward. Batman is sitting on the edge of his bed.

"Where is my daughter?" he demands.

"We're looking for her Jim. Everyone is searching the city."

"Then what the Hell are you doing here?"

Even under the mask Gordon noticed a change in his expression.

"I wanted to see how-"

"I'm in a hospital aren't I? Who knows what that monster could be doing to my daughter! Get out of here!" He smacks Batman on the chest. He falls back onto the bed, exhausted. Batman gets up, and looks back for a second and then departs.

...

Gordon loses track of time. He weaves in and out of consciousness. A nurse puts food in front of him at some point, but he smacks it away and falls back.

"Daddy?"

Gordon bolts up. He takes in the image of his daughter. She is dressed in hospital scrubs, with a pair of over-sized sneakers on her feet. There is a deep red line around her neck. Tears begin to leak down his face and as she rushes into his arms. They both begin to cry violently. Father and daughter grip each other tightly. They cry for each other. They cry for the indignities they both suffered. They cry over how their lives have been irreparably changed forever.

Outside the Dark Knight watches with statuesque stiffness. He is the guardian of a city plagued by some of the deadliest criminals in the world. Yet with all his fighting and meditative skills, he cannot prevent a tear from streaking down his face.

Well, considering Joker's plan was to drive the Commissioner insane to prove that even he could be corrupted and see things the way the Joker does, if he answered the door, Joker would probably have one of his men KO Gordon and then take off with him. If Barbara heard and rushed to find out what was going on, she would still get shot, but maybe not paralyzed considering the shot, when she answered the door, was point blank.

I think if maybe Gordon answered the door he'd get shot, Barbara goes into Bat-Girl mode but is overpowered by the henchmen & Joker who does even more despicable things to her as her father watches dying! Joker then patches Gordon up enough to travel and does the whole carnival of horror on him whilst Batman finds a barely recognisable Barbara lying on a broken coffee table. She's battered, bloodied and possibly gang raped by the group. Batman is beyond furious!

He wades through the carnival and rescues Jim but it looks like he'll be paralyzed. Batman & Joker fight a brutal battle and and the end the Joker tells his joke. Batman cracks a smile "You're not funny!" and drives his palm upwards trying to push the nasal cartliage into his brain! Batman walks away a beaten man

A week later the Joker regains conciousness in fits of laughter. His brain is swollen, both eye sockets cracked and he's blind due to the rupturing of his optic nerves by Batman's fist! He's alive but unable to see his handy work...another cruel joke. Ha ha ha

@batkevin74: woah.. thats some twisted sh*t rite there man!! good stuff!!

@OracleX: Didn't mean to rain on your parade, love your idea. Took what you started and went off in my own tangent

Good idea of role-reversal. It'd break my heart if this actually happened to Jim.

I mean it is sad already, but being Oracle made Barbara stronger than she was as the naive Batgirl. Jim probably would have been killed off in a few later episodes, if he couldn't be one with the action as harsh as that sounds.

BatKev has a point as well though, a little more about the whole scene and some drop-kick action at the end would have made the icing on the cake! Why did Joker shoot Gordon? Was it by accident? Was he hoping it was actually Babs at the door? Did he realize he screwed up so he tried to act like it was meant to be and take her away, driving Jim mad? What happened when Batman finds her? Because we know Batman finds her... Maybe you could have also, (granted I am sure you don't want to write massive amounts,) made it so Batman's attempts on finding Barbara are inconclusive for the most part (least to the Public) and are set-up/traps to make Batman look like a bad guy to Jim and yadda yadda yadda.

The list goes on.

None the less, your writing is good and you kept to the point. The ending is very sad, Batman crying is always very painful for me. I blame watching Batman: the Phantasm or whatever it's called all the time when I was a kid, he he. Two thumbs up

To address a few comments: Thanks, and keep them coming! Also in the interest of the fact that there is a large age range that might be reading this, I am not getting into gory details of what might have happened to Babs or Gordon. Some might find this reading a little less action packed for a comic fan-fic, but my interest is in studying characters. As for whether Gordon was the target: Let me ask you this? Did Joker really succeed in the big scheme of things?

A man is waiving a gun at a prostitute who's cloths are in shreds. She is leaning against the brick wall to stay on her feet.

"Give me my cut bitch! Give it to me now I'll be the last person you see before you die!"

Her makeup is horribly streaked with tears. "I'll earn it back tomorrow! I swear! Please, just let me live!"

The man cocks his gun. "Lights out bitch!"

A batarang flies through the air and slices his wrist. He yelps and looks around. He suddenly pushed on the ground with the force of a flying kick. He catches a glimpse of Batgirl before she punches him out cold.

Barbara proceeds to handcuff him to a burnt-out light post as the prostitute watches numbly. Barbara turns to her. "Turn right down the next alley and there is a women's shelter three blocks down. If you would like I can walk you down-"

But the prostitute has already run away.

Barbara pulls out a grappling gun and aims for the next building to get her to Hob's Kitchen. She reaches the top of the building and prepares to run in order to leap across the next four buildings.

"That's the third the assault you stopped in one night. Call it a night Babs."

Barbara turns around to see Dick Grayson, dressed as Nightwing leaning casually against the remains of broken water tower.

"Have you been following me Dick? Did Bruce call you away from gallivanting with your alien girlfriend to check up on me?"

"I chose to come home. I'm worried about you."

"Don't. I'm fine. I need to go, I heard something about a drug mule slave trade going down-" Barbara begins to run but Dick swiftly grabs her around her waist.

"You're not Babs. You're avoiding your problems. You were tortured-"

Babs breaks free from him. "I'm fine! Yes I was tortured, but I wasn't raped. You can check the hospital records if you don't believe me. No serious injuries. I can still do a flying corkscrew better than you."

She proceeds to a series of complicated flying leaps in the air.

"The last one was a little under-rotated," Dick comments for which he receives a kick across the face that sends him to the ground.

"Now that's progress," Dick says as he dusts himself off. "Would you like to hit me again?'

Barbara slouches. "On any other day, gladly, I just need to-"

"Tell me whats really going on Babs."

"I'm worried about my Dad! He's putting on a brave face but I can tell that he is hurting horribly. It feels like he is building walls to prevent me from really helping him."

"Give him time Babs. He has only been in the hospital for four days."

Barbara stamps her foot. "That's the problem! Every day it seems like he is pulling further apart from me and I don't know what to do!"

Barbara suddenly sniffles her nose. Dick approaches slowly and places her arm around her. "Come on Babs. Lets go grab something to eat at our favorite dive and find a non-condemned building to talk.

Barbara nods her head and they aim their grappling guns to prepare to take flight into the night.

...

"Jim, this is a kidnapping." Harvey Bullock announces as he appears in the doorway.

Gordon sits up his bed, cursing the fact that this is all that he will ever be able to do. "Harvey, what are you talking about?"

Harvey pulls out a wheelchair and talks quickly. "I bribed the nurses into not checking on you for an hour and found the elevator with roof access. Now can you get into this thing alone or do I have to-"

"Yes!" Gordon pushes himself forward and eases himself into the wheelchair. Harvey piles the blankets on him and then rushes him out the door.

"Harvey what the Hell-"

They reach the elevator and Harvey peers around makes sure that no one is around. "You'll see in a minute, Jim."

As they wait in the elevator, Gordon wonders if they might being seeing the Batman, but then he realizes that it is still bright out.

Harvey wheels him onto the gravel into the bright chilly fall morning. Harvey hands him a lighter and a pack of cigarettes. "I can't do much for you Jim, but I thought this might help."

Gordon begins to light one. "Your a good man Harvey."

Harvey pulls out a pack for himself. "Eh. Not bad for a guy who nearly killed you not too long ago."

"It was a heart attack Harvey. It was a sign that I needed to start looking after my health."

"Sure you do. You're not the one who annually threatens to file trumped up charges against the doctor to pass the police physical."

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that."

For a long time they just smoke in silence.

"Whats going to happen next?" Gordon wonders aloud.

"Don't sweat it right now. There is always going to be a place for you at Gotham P.D."

Harvey wheels him to the elevator. In Gordon's hospital room police Captain Michael Akins is sitting patiently. A slight smirk appears across his face. "Illegal roof access is considered trespassing Harvey."

"Go find some witnesses Akins! What are you doing here?"

"I have something I'd like talk about with Commissioner Gordon in private."

Bullock looks to Gordon. "I'm fine Harvey. Go get some work done!" Harvey grins slightly, then sneers and at Akins and walks out. Gordon climbs back into his hospital bed with as much dignity as possible. "Whats on your mind Mike?"

"Jim, we are living in some very dark times. Since you've been hospitalized, five un-related murders have occurred, two gangs feuds in different sections of town are reaching their boiling points, assaults-'

"Get to the point Mike."

Akins weaves his fingers together. "My point is Jim, that we have to establish a new permanent face for Gotham P.D. sooner rather than later."

"You want me to step down."

"You can write out your resignation today, have it typed and signed tomorrow and we can have press conference announcing our to new police Commissioner for the Monday press conference."

"You have a lot of nerve asking me to do this."

"And you know it needs to be done Jim." He walks over and leaves a pen and pad on the bed-side table. "I"ll be back later in the evening for your decision. Good day sir." Akins walks our.

When Gordon is alone he begins to blink hard. Then he smashes his fists on to his legs hard, repeatedly. Though he can't feel it, he know there will be bruising. He keeps slamming his fists onto his legs until his hands are numb. He then begins to think about what he will write in his resignation letter that he didn't think he would be doing for a long time.

@OracleX:

Comments from the author are completely sponged up by the reader!

The second part of your story is awesome! I want to keep reading what you come up with. I even think this is better than the first one. It's very well-written and the dialogue matched to a tee. Brava!

@OracleX: Nicely done, keep up the excellent work

Just a note: Guys don't expect me to update in a specific pattern. I have a ton of school work between me and finishing school by December 16. I have been dying to find the right time to write all this out so here goes:

Barbara Gordon walks around her father's new apartment anxiously. She pulls out a tape measure and measures the gaps between every object in the room.

"Bab's you're getting a little OCD," Dick Grayson says as he enters the room carrying boxes of food.

"I want everything to be perfect. I want him to be able to move around without any obstructions. I want him to-"

"Babs you did everything you could stay close. There is nothing you could have said to convince him to stay put."

Barbara starts to straighten pillows on the couch absent-mindlessly. "He could have waited before deciding to move into a handicap-designed apartment. I don't see why he wants to go from the hospital directly to this new place."

Dick goes into the kitchen and starts emptying the boxes.

"I think it is a guy-thing. We don't like asking for help and he probably doesn't like you seeing him weak. I can only imagine what would happen if Bruce were to get hurt."

Barbara enters the kitchen and starts to put food where is easily accessible. "Speaking of whom. Have you seen him since you got into town?" Barbara asked.

"No, actually. When I have dropped by the cave Alfred said he was gone. Has he visited your dad?"

"No. I honestly think my Dad would have liked it."

"So Bruce is going into one of his brooding phases." Dick pulls out bottles of alcohol. "Are you comfortable with him drinking?"

Babs takes them and arranges them in a cupboard. "Yes. My Dad has never tried to drink away his problems."

"Then why are all these bottles diluted with about a 2 milliliters of water?"

Babs gives him a look of pure agitation. "That's what I get for asking help from the 'The Boy Detective Wonder."

"I aim to please."

Babara checks her watch. "It is time to pick up Dad from the hospital. He is insisting on heading to Gotham P.D. to pick up the rest of his stuff."

"Good luck Babs."

...

James Gordon refused to let his daughter push him through the entrance of the Gotham Police Department. Though he hadn't mastered moving it around swiftly, he wanted to move his body around without the help of anyone. Barbara stood beside him uneasily in the elevator that would to take him to his former office.

When Gordon entered the pit, every officer stopped what they were doing and saluted him. Gordon gave slight wave to everyone and then wheeled his way to his office. The door was slightly ajar. "Come on in Jim."

Sarah Essen put the phone down and smiled at him. "It is good to see you Jim. It is a pleasure to meet you Barbara." Sarah stood up and shook hands with her. She then motioned to the boxes stacked up. "I made sure to have everything neatly packed and organized to make the process as easy as possible."

Barbara looked liked she couldn't decide as to whether to take it as a courtesy or as a swipe. Gordon tried not to think about it. "Thank you Sarah. Babs why don't you start taking those boxes down the van?"

"Sure thing Dad." Barbara grabbed a stack and closed the door behind her.

Sarah and Gordon looked at each other. Their affair had been years ago but at the moment the emotions of pleasure mixed with regret bubbled to the surface of their faces.

"So what brought you back Sarah?"

"As hard as it is to believe, I missed this place. In Metropolis, the only thing to do down there was crowd control. Sure there was your usual petty crime, but I felt like I was spending most of my time herding crowds away from robots, aliens, or alien robots." Sarah let out a slight laugh. "That's what happens when the self-proclaimed protector of your city is an all-powerful alien."

Gordon laughed also. "I am 99% positive that the guy with a cape here is human."

Sarah smiled. "There is locked drawer in this desk. I thought I'd ask you to open it before I went to maintenance-"

"I have it here." Gordon produced a key and wheeled towards the desk.

"I can leave if you want-" Sarah started but Gordon stopped her. "I have no secrets Sarah. Just things I'd rather keep private."

Gordon opened the drawer. He pulled out a forty-year-old bottle of scotch. "I only drank from this once." He pulled out a few case files, one of which was marked "Peter-Pan Murderer." The last thing was a ten-inch-long rectangular metal box with a tiny pad-lock on it. "Some things will always be a mystery."

Gordon wheeled away from the desk with the bottle and box in his lap. "I hear you are taking the bat-signal down."

"I was hoping that news hadn't spread yet. Jim you knew when I was working with you that I didn't trust him and still don't"

"I think you're making a mistake Sarah. Since you've left he has proven to be a very valuable asset to Gotham P.D."

Sarah slammed her fist on the desk. "Dammit Jim! Batman isn't a cop! You think he is an ally, but he plays by his own rules and treats this city is just big game to him."

"You don't know him Sarah! The guy is my friend. He has saved my life more than once. He may not play by the rules but I know he has a moral code that he follows."

"You have gotten too close to him. It is time to set some boundaries between this squad and the guy who parades around in a cape."

There is knock on the door. Sarah says to come in. Barbara Gordon appears again.

"Babs why don't you grab the rest of the boxes and let's let Sarah get back to her work."

Barbara senses some tension in the air. "It was nice meeting you Commissioner." Barbara grabs the rest of the boxes and leaves. Gordon follows, but stops for a moment.

"Hey Sarah, your hair looks nice short. It has a nice a flip to it."

"Thanks Jim." The door closes and Sarah cradles her head in her hands. He still has a way of stabbing at her heart.

...

Gordon only spoke briefly with a few cops before they left. He smiled and put on a strong face. He said he was going to visit, promised to have a beer with them at some point. He said he was excited to be working in the private sector as a security consultant (fancy term for security guard). He said everything they wanted to hear, yet he knew didn't sound nearly as convincing as he wanted to.

"Home sweet home!" Barbara announced as she opened the door to his new apartment. Barbara had done everything perfectly. Painting and photos were hung evenly, the furniture was angled precisely.

"Now Dad let me cook you some dinner. I was thinking spaghetti-"

"I can fix something up for myself Barbara."

"We can skip cooking. I have a list of the best take-out places near-by."

"Babs I'm fine."

"Then let me show you where I put things-"

"I WANT TO BE ALONE!"

Barbara looked like she had been slapped. Gordon tried to control his breathing.

"Dad I'm just trying to help-"

"Babs, I know what you're trying to do. Its just... I can't bare to look at you."

Barbara gets down on his level. "What?"

"I pulled it out of Harvey one night. I know what he did to you. The way you saw me. No daughter should ever see her father-" Gordon couldn't finish the sentence.

Tears are streaming her eyes. "Daddy I survived! Every day that passes it becomes more of a nightmare than an actual experience."

"But not for me." Gordon begins to push chair towards the kitchen. "Please give me some time Babs."

"But Dad!"

"GO"

...

Dick Grayson, dressed as Nightwing, watches the whole scene play out. On some level he found it fascinating. Seeing a range of real raw emotions, was something he rarely saw while living with Bruce.

"He taught you how to read lips didn't he?"

Dick turns around to see Barbara staring at him. She is dressed in a blue wool coat over gray dress slacks.

"Babs I'm sorry, I wanted to see how things went-"

"Dick you need to leave."

"Barbara I'm really sorry-"

"That's not what I mean. When I went to the Bat-cave I saw the Justice League memos. There is in-fighting among the Titans. Missions are being compromised due to lack of communications-"

"How did you get a hold those-"

"I'm the tech person at the library Dick. What I'm trying to say is that your skills are needed elsewhere. You have out-grown Gotham Dick."

Dick slowly approached Barbara.

"But what about you Babs?"

"I'll be fine. Bruce is here along with who ever else decides to take up vigilante-ism here for fun."

Dick moved even closer Barbara. The wind was blowing her hair all over the place. With out the black costume and mask, she still looked strong and mature. Dick gently pulled strand of her hair away and Barbara gently took his hand.

"Barbara I-"

"Dick this is not the time. We may find each other again. We may not. All I know that you need to get back to saving the rest of the world."

Barbara and Dick parted slowly.

"Call me if you need me."

"I will Dick."

Dick took flight into the night and Barbara watched. She scanned the tops of other buildings, looking for the flicker of a cape.

I'm BAAACK! After surviving an ordeal involving intense writing, memorization, and maintaining the desire to fight, OracleX rises from the ashes of finals week with B.A. IN JOURNALISM! (Okay grades haven't come in yet but I'm 95% certain I passed both of the classes I need to earn my degree.) I have a story arc in mind, it just isn't fleshed out right now. So be patient with me as I try to figure things out.

Also: One of the first comic trade-paper-backs that I ever bought was Showcase: Batgirl Vol. 1. It is black and white, which is annoying but probably why it was cheap. There are some decent story lines mixed in with the crazy campyness. So I am trying to dig up some stories and characters that might be fun to use. Another Point: The comic was published in 1988 so I am trying to write with this time period in mind. And finally: I'm just using characters from whatever continuity that might work for my purpose of trying to figure out how the world would have changed if Babs stayed on as Bat-girl. So without further ado:

Dinah was learning a lot of things the hard way tonight. She learned that convenience store owners will still shoot at you even after you prevent a pair of thugs from robbing and trashing the place (maybe, he was shooting at her because she broke the doors off all the fridge displays in the midst of the heavy butt-kicking). Then she learned that it probably wasn't a good idea to sneak into a warehouse after seeing some shady figures lurking around. Her final lesson was that the "canary call" at its highest pitch, only worked once and left her completely wiped.

With one goon tightly holding her arms, and three others with their guns aimed at her, Dinah was not afraid of facing her fate. She just felt extremely stupid. This was her first night out as the Black Canary and she was going to fall before she had the chance to fly.

Suddenly, a dark cloud of smoke came down like a waterfall. The goons began to cough and Dinah was able to free herself. Just as she took a step forward, a figure appeared and grabbed her waist. Before she could react, she and the person were flying upwards. Their feet touched a flat surface of what must have been a scaffolding. The figure began to run towards and opening. "Follow me," the female voice said. Dinah struggled to keep up.

Dinah welcomed the sight of the moon fresh air. It wouldn't last as a hand appeared. "Come on!" The woman said. Dinah grabbed her hand and as she was pulled onto the roof of the building, she got her first good look at Batgirl.

"So whats a girl in fishnets doing in one of Falcone's crime syndicates? Batgirl asks as she adjusts her utility belt.

Dinah crumpled down in exhaustion. "I could ask, what was a girl dressed as a bat doing in the rafters?"

"I was hacking computer files to find out when the shipment of high-quality cocaine was coming in from Mexico. When I heard some "squawking" I went stealth to find out what was going on."

"My canary cry is capable of bursting eardrums of anyone withing twenty yards of me."

Batgirl checked something on her utility belt. "Its nearly two, I have other places to be. Where can I drop you off, unless "the canary" has wings."

Dinah stood up. "Do you really think you are better than me? I am a highly skill in martial arts-"

"and un-armed combat and super-duper aerial acrobatic gymnastics. Where do you want to go?"

"Back down there to find out what those thugs were up to!"

Batgirl holds up a CD. "Already done. Its going to be on the commissioner's desk when she arrives. Come on, I'll take you to docks where some drunk sailors could use some roughing up for harassing women at the bar."

"Fine," Dinah says begrudgingly.

Batgirl's facial expression softens. "Look, I know what its like to want get in and start busting the big boys. You just need to start from the bottom and learn when and where to pick your battles."

"Batgirl, I thought I heard you were semi-retired?"

Batgirl begins to measure the trajectory and balance for her next jump. "Things change."

Dinah had heard stories about the somber no-nonsense attitude, associated with Batman. Apparently his demeanor was rubbing off onto his associates.

...

James Gordon couldn't decide whether taking three shots of his forty-year-old scotch last night was a good or a bad thing. It seemed to help him sleep dreamless, but he still felt foggy in the morning. He kind of welcomed the fog as he adjusted his suite and tie for his first day of work.

Wayne Enterprises is one of the most prominent buildings in the city. It is always being re-designed to reflect the current trends in architectural innovation. Gordon had been there on many occasions, ranging from gala events to surveying the wreckage of a recent lab mishap caused by a scientist who lost his mind when fired (this being Gotham, it happened almost as often as the galas).

But for the fist time he was handed an I.D. badge to hang around his neck by an over-cheerful secretary. It looked like she trying very had not to scurry like a rodent to get him to his destination as he wheeled haltingly down the marble corridor.

Everyone in the Wayne security office wore a blue blazer with their I.D. badges pinned to the lapel. They all looked up and smiled and continued to work. Gordon was welcomed into an office three times the size of his with large plush leather chairs and a mahogany desk that looked fit for the leader of a country. The man behind the desk looked slightly younger than Barbara. His evenly trimmed blond hair that failed to make him look any more mature.

"Welcome to Wayne Security Services Mr. Gordon." Nick Nelson said cheerily. He came around the desk and shook his his hand.

"I truly appreciate your choice to hire me," Gordon said, as it was what people wanted to hear.

"The pleasure is all ours. Having a former police commissioner on our team is a tremendous asset..."

Gordon began to tune him out at this point as Nelson went on and on about how working for Wayne Security Services will be a truly life enhancing experience. Without even asking, Nelson took the handles on the back of his chair proceeded to give him a tour of the facility, like he was on damn Disney ride. It occurred to him that years ago he promised to take Barbara to Disneyland to show her a place where the people who dressed up in comic suites were mostly just teenagers desperate to make a few bucks.

The ride stopped when Nelson showed his cubicle. It was a third of the size of his office at G.C.P.D. There was a computer, pens, and paper on the desk. On one side was a three-foot-tall stack of boxes.

"This is the mail we get during the day that is sent to us for threat assessment. Turn on the computer and it will tell you how to proceed. You have til the end of the day go through all of the boxes. Good luck!" The cocky little blond brat said as he scampered off.

Gordon is not one to use profanity. He grew up in a household where such language was forbidden. He glared at any cop who used colorful language in the presence of women or children. But right now the only word that reverberated through his mind was:

"F--k!"

NIIIICE CONCEPT! Love the story!

Some people wondered by Barbara chose to go back to working at a library after a her term in Congress. When people asked, she said that she like being able to help the average person find joy and educational support in a public institution. But personally, she loved the order of it all. She had long since given up on inciting her father's anger by pursuing a job in law enforcement. There was no denying the peace associated with knowing where everything went. She was in charge of her own orderly shelter in the storm of chaos that was Gotham City.

But today Barbara was frustrated. She had just finished reading her second request for technology funding being denied. The administration had no idea what was coming next in the world of file-sharing research. If only they could see the database that had Bruce had developed for the Justice League-

She tried to put that thought aside and began to look at her book order budget. She had been trying to contact Bruce through every channel she could think of. She could sense in the air that things were changing. Judging from her own patrols and what she was hearing on the scanner, a new, more violent crime wave was developing. And Bruce was going back under the radar. Her felt that her suspicions were accurate: Without her Dad in the G.C.P.D, and losing his latest Robin, Batman was just a flickering shadow of justice-

"Barbara!"

She jumped when Beth's head popped into her office. Beth, was an apprentice librarian. "Barbara, we need you on the floor. Kelly just threw up during story hour-"

"Did it get on the carpet that was just put in?"

"The janitors are cleaning it up right now. Kelly was feeling well enough to drive herself home-"

Barbara then realized how cold she sounded.

"I'm so sorry. I'll be sure to call her to see how she is doing-" Beth came over an began to pat her arm.

"Its okay Barbara, we all know that you have been going through-" Barbara pulled away angrily.

"Will people stop using that to justify my behavior? I am being a cold, inconsiderate boss right now! You should resent me right now rather than pity me!"

Beth, a mousy brunette in late twenties, looked like she was being terrorized by a grade school nun. Barbara, avoided her gaze and pushed past her. "Come on. We have work to do."

The main floor of the library was a mess. It was the after-school rush and children were running everywhere. They were understaffed without three people. The reference and check-out desks were swamped. A mini version of the wall of China/Leaning Tower of Piza was forming at the returns desk.

"Why isn't there a page covering that section?" she shouted.

"We are out of carts and we need people in the stacks divert simple questions from the reference," someone shouted.

Barbara groaned and set up shop under the tower. She scanned labels like a mad woman.

"I was wondering if you could help me find a book?" a male voice said.

Barbara didn't bother looking up as she tried to clear a piece of space. "The reference desk is twenty feet ahead." She removed the last book from the center of the desk and saw the stick leaning against the surface. Barbara looked up and dropped the books.

Jason Bard was standing in front of her, smiling. Dressed in khakis and a brown leather jacket, he looked something like Indiana Jones His slightly curled brown hair had a few more streaks of gray in it since the last time she saw him. His deeply tanned-face had a few more scars on it and his nose looked like it had been broken recently.

"Hi Babs," he said cheerfully. Barbara's legs turned jelly like she was a school girl. "Hi Jason. Um, what brings you to Gotham?"

His eyes twinkled as he smiled. "I'm on a case. I can't talk about it in public obviously. I thought I'd come here to look for information on criminal psychology."

Barbara tittered. "Well, that would be in the HVs-" Jason tapped her hand sweetly. "I know. HV 785 for serial killers, HV 1083 for crime families. I haven't forgotten what you taught me. I just wanted a reason to come over and ask to take you out tomorrow."

"I, I,-" Barbara tittered.

"I'll pick you up tomorrow at seven for dinner at Gino's. Just a meal between two friends, for old times sake. Okay?"

"Yes, that sounds wonderful." Jason promptly turned around to head back out. He look over his shoulder and smiled. "Later Babs."

Barbara stood there like a statue for a minute. A middle-aged associate librarian who had been around when she was starting came over. "I think that is just what the doctor ordered."

...

James Gordon entered his apartment 6:30 in a state of suppressed rage.

While it took him some time, he had figured out how to use the computer and sifted through the mail. He was even starting to enjoy studying the different threatening letters and found connections, according to handwriting, grammar, the sort of delicate police work he hadn't had time to do in recent years. He felt fairly good when Nick Nelson stopped by around three to check his progress.

"Nice work Mr. Gordon!" Nelson said as he scanned the computer screen and then bit his lip. "The only thing is. These reports are a little too lengthy. And I see you have only completed two thirds of your quota."

"I think I found some very interesting information. Like this note from a lab assistant. He sounds very unstable and could be selling his knowledge of neuron toxins to-"

"Don't worry about it Jim. We just need you to compile the information so that we can give it to the police when they ask for it."

"So you're not going to the police about any of my findings?"

Nelson smiled at him like was senile. "Jim,if we reported every suspicious message to Gotham P.D, they would be swamped until Christmas!"

"So that explains why my men are visiting wreckage scenes here every other month! You haven't been keeping us informed!"

Nelson waved his finger at him. "I don't like your tone Jim. And they aren't your people anymore."

Gordon couldn't believe was he was hearing. He desperately wanted to punch the man. Nelson stepped out of the cubicle.

"We don't tolerate insubordination at Wayne Security Services. You only get two strikes. Consider this your first. Now go see Lisa at human resources to get your jacket. You can leave after you have finished the rest of the boxes. Good Day." Nelson walked away with a slight spring in his step.

Gordon threw the jacket across the floor of his apartment. He couldn't bring himself to get rid of it because he wanted to show Babs that he was working, even if he wasn't.

He stopped at the side table and deleted all the messages on the phone without listening to them. He opened the bag in his lap and pulled out a sub. While it wasn't from Sal's it looked greasy and loathsomely delicious. He opened the other bag in his lap and pulled out a six-pack of beer. It took him an infuriating amount of time to get comfortable on the couch. He turned on the T.V. and began to eat, never minding how much food he got on his shirt. He opened the first can, then the second...

He would fall asleep for a while and then wake up. When he realized where he was and what had happened to him, he opened another can and drink it all away. He finally woke at ten and realized he was late for "work." He took his time cleaning up and getting dressed, and then turned on the T.V, idling away the time until the liquor stores would open.

Nice! A good role-reversal. Keep it up. :)

At a red light Barbara looked at her face in the rear view mirror. Her eyes were blood-shot as usual. She was looking forward to one night of working her regular beat when she came across a man screaming in an alley. Upon further inspection she saw that it was a woman dressed in some crazy purple cape and mask.

"Stop!" she shouted but to no avail. The woman kept beating the man and it looked like she was about to break most of his ribs when Barbara finally pushed her off him. "You took down the guy. Why not leave him alone?

She pulled away from her violently. There was a look of intense fury on her face. "That man is wanted for rape and murder in three different states. The cops haven't been able to produce enough evidence to convict him. I'm just giving him a taste of what he deserves for his actions."

"That is not how things are done here. Call the cops and let them handle him."

"What cops?" she screamed. "Wake up Batgirl! The cops have turned into a group of incompetent morons. They can barely keep the streets safe from muggers!"

"If they can't protect the streets, we can. But the moment we resort to excessive violence, we become the monsters."

"You're a batgirl scout. I'm wasting my time talking to you. Go ahead, get the murderer to the hospital. He'll be back on the streets, and I'll be waiting for him." She began to run down the alley.

"Who are you anyway?" Barbara shouted. The woman turned around for the briefest moment. "You can call me Huntress."

Barbara parked her car in a near-by ramp. First Black Canary, and now Huntress. They knew how to fight, but they didn't know how vigilante crime fighting in Gotham worked. She was starting to feel like a mother hen to these women.

She took the elevator to her Dad's apartment. He hadn't answered any of her phone calls. She also received a call from Wayne Security, expressing concern as he didn't show up for work today. When she reached his door she noticed a set of new locks had been installed. She knocked on the door and waited. She knocked again and began to call out his name. She tried her key to his apartment and it didn't fit. She knelt on the floor to check for light coming a from the crack, but she couldn't see anything. She was at a loss as to what to do. In the end she decided to use her skills as Batgirl to find out what was going on later.

She checked her watch and decided to head home to prepare for her date with Jason "as friends." She went through a number of different outfits until settling with a blue halter dress. She scooped up her hair into an elegant bun and fastened it with a rhinestone clip. Finally she applied a subtle coat of makeup that she hoped would cover the dark rings under her eyes.

Jason appeared at the door in a classy but casual gray suit. "Hey, Babs. Usually I bring flowers for a date but I know most things dye in your place in a matter of minutes."

"I thought this wasn't date?"

"It isn't but that doesn't mean that a pair of former lovers can't share a romantic moment or two."

...

Gino's was the most elegant restaurant with the fewest mob connections in town. Jason had requested a private booth and a bottle of Chardonnay was on the table.

"So what is all of this wine and dinning about?" she asked.

Jason face turned pensive. "Truthfully Babs, I have been through a lot since I left Gotham. I spent a great deal of time in South America tracking drug cartels. I was sleeping with all sorts of exotic women to get closer to taking down the King Pins. I tried every variety of drug while under-cover. I got into quite a few scrapes as you can see from the elaborate map of scars on my face and that is just the tip of the iceberg compared to the rest of my body."

Jason suddenly gripped both her hands. "I needed to come and see you Babs. When I was with you, I was just a private detective a with a few skeletons. You shared my interest in criminology. When I was with you, I experienced pure love. You were my anchor to a life of normalcy."

Barbara turned away. "When I left for Congress, I left you behind." Jason leaned his head closer. "Don't think of it that way. I know my life is like a rolling stone. I needed to return to the living on the edge because it is part of my nature. Don't ever blame yourself."

Barbara pulled away and began to look at the menu. "So can you share few more details about the case you are working?"

Jason picked up his menu as well. "All I can say is that I am tracking a body enhancing drug peddler intent on selling his research to the highest bidder."

"Sounds dangerous are you sure-"

Suddenly there was a loud crashing sound. Barbara and Jason peered around their booth to see the Penguin fly through the window using his signature umbrella.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is what you would call a hostile business take-over. I will be needing cash and jewelry to make my first down payment. Failure to cooperate may result in injury or worse."

A dozen goons dressed in tuxes holding machine guns a leaped through the window. The faces were covered with some sort of absurd variation of a beak.

"We're out-numbered at least ten-to-one here. We need to get out," Jason said. Barbara quickly pulled out her hair pin and used it to pull up and secure the side of her dress, allowing for more mobility. He grabbed her hand and they ducked down. "I know a back way out," he whispered.

They ran down a hallway that led to door that said "Private" Jason skillfully smashed the window. The office was decorated in bright shades of red. Jason was in the process of pulling the window open when a goon a arrived with his gun aimed at them.

Bruce despised guns and with good reason. But she was also the daughter of a cop. Her Dad's main means of protection was through the use of an object meant incapacitate and in dire situations, kill. She had found the time in secret to master the art of firing such a weapon.

Swift as lightning, she pulled a miniature pistol out of her her stocking. The gun was only slightly more effective than a Bee-bee gun. She let out three shots that barely made the man stumble. It bought them just enough time to escape through the window.

"I didn't know you knew how to shoot a gun," Jason said as they raced down the alleyway.

"You're not the only one who has developed a few more fighting skills," she said.

Love the story so far! It's a great "Butterfly Effect" story, showing how Gordon's role here would change things. Great stuff!

Side Note: I keep meaning to rate this fic. as "Mature."

"I think we lost them," Jason said as they ran down the third block.

Barbara stopped and leaned against a wall breathing heavily. She looked up and Jason was watching her, smiling. "That was a pretty bad-ass move you pulled earlier." "I'm not the meek and mild librarian you knew in Gotham the last time you saw me." Sweat was pouring down both their faces. Adrenaline was still rushing through the veins. Jason grabbed her and began to kiss her hungrily. She kissed him back with equal intensity.

"I know how to get a cab from here," Jason said once he came up for air. In the cab they tried to restrain themselves as much as possible.

Jason's hotel was in a richer section of town. He said he could afford it now and privacy was a top priority in the hotel as it served many wealthy figures. Once inside his posh room he untied the back of her top and he fell onto the bed. She pulled his the buttons on his shirt apart.

She noticed his chest hair had become gray. Suddenly pictures of her father's bare chest flashed through her mind and she felt the chill of her own lack of clothing. She felt dizzy and stepped back. A wave of fear came over her as she quickly re-fastened her dress.

"Babs, whats wrong? Did I come on too fast?" Jason asked, looking both hurt and concerned. Barbara grabbed her purse off the floor. "It has nothing to do with you Jason, you are amazing. I need to leave." She pulled open the door and ran to the elevators.

She had just enough money to get a cab ride home. All the while she tried to suppress her tears over the one moment of passion she had experienced in a long time.

...

Barbara leaped across buildings and tried to forget about what happened earlier that night. She had stopped a home invasion and got few starving kids to a good homeless shelter. But she still felt haunted. She hated how the Joker had become a cancer in her brain that could not be contained.

She looked up for a moment and saw that the Bat-signal was up. It wasn't very bright, but it was still visible. She figured, it couldn't hurt to see what it was about, since Bruce had become invisible lately. She looked across the skyline and sighed. She wished she still had her bat-bike. Her last one had gone through a bad beating, and when she went to see Alfred about getting a new one, he told her that Bruce had stopped production.

She arrived on the building from behind, fearing that it might be a trap. She saw of all people, Harvey Bullock pacing around.

"What is going on Lieutenant?" She asked, appearing from the shadows Bruce-style. Harvey turned around. A look of relief spread across his face.

"I was hoping for the Head-Bat, but you'll do. By the way it's Sergent now. I was demoted by the Ice Queen," he said.

"I'll ask again: What is going on?" she said impatiently.

"Everything has gone nuts since Gordon left! Essen has been firing clean cops left and right and replacing them with the crooked Mayor's goons. Evidence is getting lost. Criminals are going free on technicalities... I could go on for hours."

"I don't understand. From what I know about Essen, she was an upstanding cop."

"That's what's got me puzzled too." Bullock pulled out a test tube with a cotton swab in it. "My first theory was that someone was pulling strings and somehow black-mailing her. My other theory is that she is being doped up with some sort of drug that any number of freaks could be cooking up. This is a sample of DNA I lifted off her mug. I don't have the resources to track down all these theories but I thought you might."

Barbara takes the tube. "I'll do my best Bullock." The next moment they are blinded by a flash of light. The both look up and see Essen and a team of cops with with sharp-shooters aimed at them.

"Hands in the air both of you! Bullock, you are under arrest for aiding and abetting a fugitive. Batgirl you are under arrest for vigilante-ism," Essen said through a radio.

Bullock looks to Batgirl. "Find the Bat, and save Gordon!" Barbara nods. She begins to shake convulsively causing the sharp shooters to loose their targets. She steps back and falls off the building.

The first thing she learned while training to be a gymnast was how to fall. The physical act off falling is not hard. The most difficult component was over-coming the fear of being air-born, with little control over the body. Granted when falling in gymnastics, you landed in pile a foam blocks the first few times and then mats. While falling from a building where the landing surface was a combination of concrete and asphalt, learning to overcome the panic of falling still helped her to focus.

She pulled out her grappling gun and aimed it at the nearest building. With an insane bit of luck, it stuck. She was able to glide on to the ground with only a slight tumble.

"Batgirl, surrender or prepare to fired upon!" A pair of cops shouted, with their guns raised. She raced down the sidewalk, cursing the fact that she was out of cord. The was another set of cops approaching her from the other direction. She leaped across cars and weaved through the traffic. She felt a torn muscle on her side. There were sniper dots on her. She had run out of gas and began to pant, feeling defeated.

A motorcycle cut in front of her. She looked up and saw "Huntress" behind the handlebars. "Get on," she ordered. Barbara leaped on without thinking twice. Huntress weaved through a series of narrow allies like a pro. "The cops will be waiting behind the next block," Barbara, shouted, but Huntress ignored her. When she saw the cops, she threw a set of the throwing stars at them and raced between cars.

They finally reached an abandoned dockyard and Huntress skidded to a stop. Barbara leaped off the bike. "So why did you help me just now?" she asked. Huntress rubbed her hair and put the kick-stand down. "I though you owing me favor might be useful at some point in the future," she said.

Barbara looked at Huntress with gratitude for for the first time. "I won't break you out of jail or commit murder, but I'm up for anything else."

"Fair enough," she said in neutral voice. Barbara breathed in the chilly air. "How did you know to find me there anyway?"

"Well, when I saw the signal I was hoping to see Batman. Watching from the next roof over I saw the cops preparing to jump on you. So I repelled down to my bike and waited to see if your butt needed saving."

They heard the roar of another engine. The "Canary" in fishnets appeared. "Did I miss all the fun?"

Barbara rolled her eyes. "So are you two a team now?" They both looked at each other dubiously. "Not really," they said a the same time. "Call it an alliance of convenience," Huntress said. "As we're the new girls in town, it doesn't hurt to share information every once and a while," Black Canary said and then turned to Barbara. "You must be zonked, where can I drop you off that is close enough where you live without revealing your "secret lair?"

Barbara groaned. "So now I owe you both favors-" but Black Canary waved her hand. "Consider my giving you a ride as returning the favor for saving me from Falcone's goons." Barbara looked at both of them, with a mixture of surrender and a touch of authority. "You two are both very good at what you do in different ways. If you ever need some back-up or even advice, you can find me patrolling the streets from Crime Alley to the east side of Hob's kitchen."

"I'll keep that in mind," Huntress said as she got on her bike. "Thanks," said Black Canary said sweetly and hopped on her bike. "Now get on!"

...

As much as Barbara would have liked to call it a night. She knew the flashes of her father would haunt her. She re-stocked up on her gear. She also drank a new enhanced energy drink that was given out by a book shelver who was also chemistry student.

Running and repelling to her Father's apartment was a breeze. She repelled down the back of the building and found the window to his kitchen.The shades were down. At first she tried her usual wedging tool, but it didn't work. It appeared that he had glued the window shut. She hated using this device, but she pulled it out of her belt, removed the adhesive, placed it on the window, and pressed the button. There was a barely audible hum as the glass began to shake. Within a matter of seconds the glass silently shattered into dust. She shuttered at the thought as of might happen if she was forced to use it on a human.

As she was carefully climbed through the window her nose was met with a disgusting wave of odor. Once her eyes adjusted to the dark, she looked around the kitchen and saw beer cans and empty bottles littering floor. The slices of ham she had stocked in the fridge was rotting on the table, covered with bugs. There was a carton of a spilled rancid milk on the floor. She dreaded the thought of seeing the rest of the place.

The TV was on low when she entered the living room. She covered her mouth to suppress her gasp. Her father was lying on the couch in a stained t-shirt. He had a grown an unkempt beard. To her horror he smelled worse than the kitchen. There were more bottles of beer were tucked in the pillows of the couch. There was a stack of empty Chinese food cartons on the floor near his head. His wheelchair was lying on its side in a far corner of the room. Barbara was on the verge of crying.

"Batman!" Gordon shouted in a hoarse voice. He lifted himself from the couch ever so slightly. He had pulled a bottle out of the couch and was waving it wildly.

"So you finally decided show up and save me!" he said with a slight hiccup. "Well, I'm sorry... well not really sorry... to inform you that you are too late. You being the observant... pompous... super-detective... you may have seen the... state of my home... Well that is how I like it!"

He took a rattling cough of a breath. "I'm... too much of a coward... to take my own life... so I'll settle... for... drinking... myself into... oblivion."

Barbara decided to "play" along. She coughed and tried to growl. "You need help Jim. We'll get you counseling and-"

This only agitated him even more. "I don't need any help from you of all people! You know... when I'm not... drunk enough I see his face. I hear him laughing... Making fun... of my body. So I just drink until it is all blurry."

Barbara tried a different tactic. "But Jim, what your daughter? She loves. She needs you."

"My daughter doesn't need a helpless, drunk cripple! I hope to be dead by the time she gets someone to break the door down." Barbara is tries to remain stiff. "You know this all your goddamn fault! The Joker wanted to break you using me and my Babs as bait. Well he broke me! He deserves a round of applause." Gordon slaps his wrist repeatedly while still holding the bottle.

"Now I'm sick... of talking... you. Now go... to... Hell!" He throws the bottle with surprising accuracy. It smashes against her shoulder as she runs back into the kitchen.

She climbed through the window and scaled up the building. She hurtled onto the roof and landed in a ball. Barbara began to sob uncontrollably. The Joker had succeeded in driving her dad insane. She wanted revenge. The Joker was supposedly dead after killing Robin, but she wanted to see a corpse and mutilate it. Something else her dad said struck a nerve. Combined with everything else she experienced tonight she knew what her next goal was: Find Bruce and get him to step out of the shadows. Even if it meant beating the s**t out of him.

Barbara barely got four hours of sleep before she leaped into action. She called in sick at the library and then called for an ambulance to get her father.

The sky had already turned a dreary gray by seven in the morning. That mean rain was coming. She parked her car around the block and approached the ambulance truck. A burly E.M.T was talking on his radio. He looked up at her as she approached. "Are you the woman who called for us?"

"Yes," she said.

"Well there was no one in there," he said. Barbara stepped back in shock. "There must be a mistake, do you have the right number?"

He talked on the radio for a second. "Yeah they got the right number. They found papers and pictures with his information on it."

Barbara felt numb. "Call the police! He's missing!" The man shook his head. "No can do Ma'am. You have to wait 24 hours."

"This is insane! He is the former commissioner of the Gotham P.D! He's in a wheelchair! There must be some foul play involved."

"Sorry Ma'am," the man said unhelpfully. "I need to go to his apartment! There must be something that will show where he is." The man shook his head again. "I'm afraid you can't do that either. The health department is being called in. The place is highly unsanitary." Barbara marched away in a huff.

Why hadn't she looked in on her dad sooner? She thought as she searched the area around his building. She thought giving her Dad the space he wanted would help him come to terms mentally on his own. How could she have been more wrong?

In her car she phoned Dick first. He didn't pick up. She then remembered seeing something in the papers about a war on the West Coast involving mutated robots. It sounded so ridiculous, but someone had to handle the situation. She called Alfred next in a state of hysteria. "I don't care where he is Alfred! Tell him Gordon is missing and I need his help!" Alfred paused for a moment and when he spoke it was with a tremble. "I have been trying to tell Master Bruce that Mr. Gordon might appreciate his company. He barely acknowledges my presence anymore. When he does return to the cave, he comes soaked in blood and then goes to work on his computer. I fear that Master Bruce has been psycho-chemically altered."

"Oh God," Barbara said. "Do you know where he is right now?"

"He is playing racket-ball with a group of C.E.Os He can function "normally" but with a distinct lack of empathy." Barbara began to rack her brain. This might be her only shot. "Alfred do you think that you can convince "Bruce Wayne," that there is a plot to steal the latest Robinson painting at the Elliot Gallery during their anniversary gala tonight?" Barbara waited for a minute. "I think I can manage that Miss. Gordon." She thanked Alfred and he wished her good luck.

...

Jason Bard was studying newspapers from the last few weeks at the library. How could he have been so stupid? He had read about the Joker's international activity but he missed the story about why the guy skipped town. Barbara must have been going through Hell during the last few weeks. Though it was consensual, he still felt like he had hurt her.

"Jason!" Barbara shouted. She was looking at him with fury in her eyes. "Come with me! We need to talk now!" She grabbed him by the arm and half-dragged him through the building. She pulled him through a nondescript door that led into an ally barely big enough to two fit two people. What ever she did to him, he deserved.

"Tell me everything you know about this drug that you have been tracking." Jason looked confused. "Barbara about last night, I-"

"Jason I don't have time for this! My Dad is missing and I have reason to suspect that a number of people including the commissioner are under the influence of this drug!"

"Babs it can't have hit the masses yet. The drug is being shipped by boat here. I have been trying to find out from the papers which shipment, it might be under."

"What are the effects of this drug?"

"The drug that effects the part of the brain the controls emotions."

"Such as empathy."

"It feeds off the brain, ultimately turning them into sociopaths."

"Is there anyway to stop it?"

"It would involve reverse-engineering the drug."

Babara is shaking. "So who behind all of this?" Jason shook his head. "You're guess is as good as mine. I was paid to track down where who is the distributor and clients are and then call in my info." He watched Barbara as her eyes raced, pushing her photo-graphic memory into over-drive.

She pushed past him. "Thanks Jason." He grabbed her arm. "Now wait, what the Hell is all of this about? You can't take down a big drug lord by yourself!"

Barbara kept walking. "I know what I'm doing." Jason pushed in front of her. "I doubt it." Barbara let out a slow breath, trying to control herself. "I know someone who can help me find an antidote." Jason was stunned. "Wow. But still you can't do this alone." Barbara groaned. "Fine, meet me at my car in the back lot. I have some phone calls to make." She ran down the ally.

...

Dinah was trying to stay awake behind the counter. She hated having a day-job. But she needed to pay her bills and keep her bike in good shape.

"Dinah!" Her boss shouted. "Your mom is on the phone!" Dinah did a double-take. Her mother didn't even know she was in Gotham. She picked up the phone in the break room with some trepidation.

"Not very bright, using your night vehicle to get to your day-job," Batgirl said sarcastically.

"How did you?-"

"I put a tracer on your bike. Same with Huntress, but at least she was smart enough to stash hers in an old boat house."

"What do you want?"

"I have been having a hard time contacting Batman. My sources indicate that he is becoming increasingly violent."

"So you want me to track him down."

"No! Don't even approach him! The only man who has ever been able to keep him rooted in traditional law and order is missing. James Gordon has been abducted. I need you to find him and get him to a hospital. Contact Huntress also. I don't care what methods you use to retrieve him. Just save him and there may be hope in knocking some sense into the Bat."

"Ooh, a mission from the mother-bat!"

"I promise to return the favors to both of you, Later hawks," and Batgirl hung up. She must be really desperate, if she resorted to contact her dubious allies.

...

"So where are we going?" Jason asked. "You'll see," she said. They arrived at an old faded white art-deco building on the farthest edge of the old Gotham upper-class neighborhood. When they entered through the rust gold-plated doors, the aging receptionist in a faded a velvet jacket looked at them suspiciously. Barbara showed her I.D. "He's with me." The man nodded and returned to reading the newspaper.

They reached the top floor of the building. There was and inter-com next to the door. She pressed a button and began to speak in French about some science theories that he barely understood. A hunched over man with gray and square spectacles appeared. "So what so do you want now?"

Barbara walked in casually. "Nice seeing you too Dr. Marcel." The rooms were lined to ceiling with books. "Who is this man?" he asked irritably. Barbara looked around with mild interest at the antique furniture. "He is my ball and chain." Jason wanted to object, but thought better of it.

"You are clearly in dire straights if you asking for help from me," Dr. Marcel said.

Barbara pulled out a test-tube with a q-tip in it. "Can you pull residue of mental-altering drug off this?" Marcel stared at her with incredulity.

"Have you truly lost your mind? Such a sample is impossible to break down-"

"Stop showing off Dr. Marcel. You and I both know you can do it." Marcel glared at her. "You are incorrigible young lady, but yes I shall do this one last favor for you." He took the tube and led them in a room behind the shelves of books.

It was like walking into a different dimension Jason thought. The space was a pristine white. State-of-the-art equipment was located everywhere. Marcel cut the cotton off the swab, placed in in a bottle, and put it into a strange spinning machine.

"How can you afford all of this? Why aren't a you working in a professional laboratory." Marcel ignored him and looked at the computer.

"First off he, edits research from other scientists.And second, Leonard Marcel is not his real name. He is actually Craig Dordom." Daniel racked his memory. "Wait, wasn't he the guy who collected strains of Ebola, Yellow Fever, and certain cancer cells while teaching at Harvard?"

"I never had any intent to breed the diseases, I just wanted to study their microscopic structures," Marcel said without looking up.

"So how did you meet him?"

"His daughter came to compete in a gymnastics meet in Gotham when I was still competing. I discovered that he was selling steroids to the girls. I stole his stash in the locker rooms and made a deal: He stopped giving out drugs to the girls and I wouldn't report him to the police. I kept the evidence as an insurance policy. When he showed up Gotham I requested his services."

"So you have been black-mailing him all this time?"

"I think statute of limitations has run up by now," Marcel said in a monotone.

"Not on the endangerment of the well-fare of a child," Barbara said and then smiled. "I'm not really holding that over him anymore. I just give him puzzles to work on."

"And this one is a doozy," Marcel said. Jason and Barbara approached the screen. "This drug is a combination of acids and chemicals that aren't even on the periodic table yet."

"So can you reverse-engineer it to create an antidote?" Jason asked.

"It would take a few days but-" he said as Barbara and Jason were about attack, "I think I already have a drug that will slow the process." Marcel looked up and smiled. "The drug lacks natural organic material. A plant-produced enzyme might shock the system. And you Barbara, already have it." Barbara smiled knowingly in return. Jason looked aghast. "Would you care to clue me in?"

Barbara placed a quick kiss on Marcel's cheek. "You're life savor Marcel. When you work out the antidote-"

Marcel grumbled. "I know send it under a respected Doc's name to legit pharmaceutical companies and a set to Gotham Memorial."

Barbara walked away, taking Jason's hand. "Nice seeing you," she said. Marcel grumbled, "Next time you come, bring me a fun virus. 'The Clench," looks like a fascinating virus that has tremendous potential." Barbara ignored in him and they left.

"Now are you going to tell me what that was all about?" Jason asked with a touch of anger. Barbara kept her eyes on the road. "This is my mission. I have to break someone I know out of the spell who will be a game a game-changer. I'm taking you back to the library. You're right, the drug bust is too big for me to handle. You find the distribution point tonight, and I'll get you some back-up."

"Like the Batgirl?" Barbara blinked. "She was a like my guardian angel of the night. Is she still around?"

"Not as much anymore. But for something this big, so she might come out to provide some support." They arrived at the library. "Good Luck Jason." He looked at for a long moment. "I'm putting a lot .of faith in you Babs. I really hope you know what you're doing. Please stay safe." Barbara leaned over and gave him a kiss. He left and leaned on his cane heavily, hoping that he will be able to muster up the courage he needed to succeed.

...

Bruce entered the gala with his usual grand bravado. This was exactly what he needed. A chance to drink good champagne and have women fawn over him. He drank exuberantly, having trained his body to maintain focus under heavy inebriation. All the while he kept watchful eye on everyone: studying body language and looking for something out of place in a night of extravagant jewelry and posturing.

Then she entered the reception foyer. Bruce was surrounded by a gaggle of girls demanding his attention when he saw her. She walked in the room in gold foot-high heels like she owned it. Her dress was a rich red silk with gold stitching. The was an authentic diamond necklace with ruby the size of a golf ball. But the cut of her dress was what had his heart racing. The V-neck showed and enormous amount of cleave without looking cheap. Then there was the cut of on the side of the dress that reached so far up the dress- it was clear that she wasn't wearing any underwear. But she moved with grace and fluidity of ballerina.

She flicked her long luscious blond curls over her shoulder as she approached him like he was the only man in the room. The girls around him looked at her with barely-veiled jealousy. She came up to him and touched his face, sending shivers down his spine. "It has been a long time since you have shown your face Mr. Wayne. Let me show you a side of your personality that you have never explored." She took his hand and wrapped her body around him. Bruce let her lead, not caring what anyone thought. He was hungry.

She pulled him in a room at that must have be used as a V.I.P. lounge. She locked the door behind them. "Now Bruce sit down, and let me do all the work." He obediently sat on the coffee table and she grabbed his hands and as she straddled his lap. In swift motion he heard a clicking sound. She had hand-cuffed him. She pulled something out of her hair and a sprayed it in his face. He blinked several times as if trying to clear his head.

"God that was the grossest thing I have ever done and I once spent days the sewers tracking the crock," Barbara said. She was already off his lap and scratching her wig.

It hit him like a tidal wave. Barbara Gordon had been seducing him. Gordon's daughter. He felt sick.

"Welcome back to the land of emotionally stable," Barbara said. Bruce was still reeling. "Barbara what's going on?"

"You were apparently drugged to lose your humanity. I don't have a full antidote, but a derivative of Poison Ivy's 'pollen kiss' will temporarily stop the drug. But that is not what's important now. My Dad is missing and I need your help tracking him down."

"Gordon's missing? The man has been through so much-"

Tears streaked down Barbara's face. "You don't know the half of it Bruce! I had to break in to see how he was doing and he had gone insane! The Joker won! And when he needed you the most, you turned into a shadow."

Bruce stood up. "Get me out of the cuffs and I'll help you I promise! I have my suit and the car." Barbara un-cuffed him and ran behind the bar. "I stored my suit here earlier."

...

They both leaped through the window. Batman and Batgirl partnered closer than they ever had before. There was no telling how long Bruce's rationality would last, but for now there was hope.

But is hope enough to save Gotham from the unloading of a drug that could cause the biggest crime wave in history? Though allies have come from the strangest wood-works, there is the chance that they could unwittingly compromise the mission. And on a more personal level: Will they be able to save the man who was the soul of virtue in Gotham? Former-commissioner James Gordon has already been physically broken. Through the course of a couple of weeks, he lost touch with reality along with his desire to live. And even If they are able to save him from the streets, will they be able to recover the man who patiently waited by the bat-signal, convinced that Gotham could be saved with the help of a man wearing a cape?

Love the way the story's going.

My only gripe is that Gordon seemed more drunk than insane.

The rest is pure gold, and I could easily see it being a real, published Elseworld! Great stuff.

Bruce sped the batmobile out of the Diamond district. "We should should start by knocking down doors in Hobs Oven-"

"No Bruce. Go the west side docks. I think there is a shipment of that drug coming tonight. We need to intercept it."

"But what about your Dad?"

"Bruce every major crime syndicate, in the city is going be waiting to a get a-hold of that drug. Odds are one of them will know where my Dad is."

Bruce glanced at her. "What have you been up to?"

"Trying to be you. Which I never wanted but someone needed to fill the void. Now there are five a docks on the West Side, none of them have records of being used by South American ships."

"Except Dock 3. It has been used by Brazilian wood importers. They pay to use Chinese decals to avoid suspicion."

"And this is why I need you in the mission."

"It is heavily guarded by former militia assassins. They do not mess around Barbara."

She pulled an electronic map out of the dashboard. "We hit the them at the distribution point. It is going to be one hell of a balancing act to keep the criminals in while keeping the shipment it tact-"

"Barbara you could get killed doing this."

"This is just a Tuesday for you Bruce."

"But not for you. I don't want to lose you."

Barbara smacked the dashboard. "This is bigger that both of us Bruce! Sarah Essen has been exposed to the drug and is breaking Gotham P.D. apart! Criminals are going free. Just look at the monster it turned you into! If this hits the public, Gotham will implode, We have the tools to stop it and we can't afford to be second-guessing ourselves."

As the batmobile speeds through the streets three times faster than that of a normal car. Bruce Wayne turns his head around completely to look at Barbara Gordon.

"You are truly Jim's daughter."

Barbara turns away. "Do you have any idea how the drug got into your system?"

Bruce turns back around and his face turns grim. "I hate feeling emotional pain. It clouds my mind. After Gordon and then Jason, the pain had become unbearable. One night I was beating up a pimp, when some figure from the shadows offered me a way to escape my pain and I took it."

"In what form?"

"It was an inhaler of all things. One pump of it and I found myself free. I fought and terrorized without remorse. I weaved through the underworld trying find as many lowlifes as possible."

"Did you kill anyone?"

"No! The drug controls emotions but not judgment. I never killed. The pain was gone and I was free."

"I am fighting the urge to punch you right now. I'd also like to explain how feeling pain is part of being human. But right now we have work to do." Barbara pulled out her own tracker. "Once you round the coast guard station stop the car for a moment."

Bruce grunted. They made the bend and Barbara opened the window. "Guess who found and stabilized the bat?" she shouted.

Huntress and Black Canary slowly wheeled forward. "Where the Hell did you put that tracer on my bike? I can't find it!" Huntress screamed.

"Friends of yours?" Bruce grumbled.

"More like associates-in-training. Someone had to watch the new lady-Robins,"

"You never run out of names for do you?" Huntress said.

"What did find out about Gordon?"

Black Canary spoke. "He is being auctioned off in some sort of super-villain competition. We couldn't find the arena or the master-mind, just that the 'party favor' was going to be coming from the docks. And I had nothing to do with the three guys who ended up in the O.R." Huntress gave her a scathing look.

Barbara turned to Bruce. "All roads lead to Rome."

Bruce began to rev the engine, but Barbara stopped him. "We could use the man-power."

"This is not on-the-job-training time. This is dangerous enough with you involved."

Barbara smashed her fist into his face. Huntress and Black Canary were both shocked and a little impressed by what they just saw.

Barbara shook her hand as if to wipe some dirt off. "You two cover the western and eastern corners of the distribution center at Dock three. Stay in the shadows and resist the urge to engage the gathering crime lords." She pulled something out of her belt and handed them out the window. "These are ear radios. You can talk to each other on dial one. Turn to dial two in case of an extreme emergency to contact me." She turned to Bruce. "They'll start unloading at a quarter to midnight, we better take positions." Bruce started to drive the car into the sand dunes without saying a word.

They hit the water and Bruce transferred it to aqua-mode. They approached the side of the ship. "I really don't like the idea of doing this with you."

"You never had a problem with teen-age boys as young as thirteen helping you."

They got out of bat-mobile and hooked lines on to the ship. Half way up they were shot at. This was to be expected and they divided up.

...

Barbara often thought of unlawful entry missions as a dance. She punched, kicked, and leaped around body-guards as if it was a dance of life and death. She dismantled the communication systems. Despite their lack of partner work, they made progress in defending each other. At one point Bruce smashed and entire bank of computers; there was nothing about the identity of the drug creator on it. Most of the armed crew on board thought they shipping weapons, no one heard of an antidote.

After securing most of the ship they met in the bowels of the ship. They watched from above as a palette of boxes were loaded onto tracks.Bruce looked at her with a moment of hesitancy and she glared at him. They silently jumped onto the first palette. Once it left the ship they shot explosives at the track, disconnecting it from the ship and forcing the cart to move faster into the distribution center.

The man who was organizing the event was just a puppet. Surrounded by guards, he was in charge of making sure the right people got their exact orders.

Barbara and Bruce emerged from the boxes. Bruce stunned the gunmen and Barbara set off piercing sound (like the "canary call" but more refined). A bullet nicked her shoulder but she pushed on. Bruce was in full-fight mode, doing moves she thought you could only do with wired attached. She was attacked by three men at once. She handled it easily, but she needed to find who had connections to her dad.To Bruce's surprise, Barbara's operatives were adequate. They were cocky and under-trained, but they were relentless. Yet with all the man-power, it still felt like they were fighting a mythical hydra.

There was the sound of an explosion. An enormous S.W.A.T. bus pushed through. Half a dozen men in riot gear emerged and began to take down criminals. Jason Bard stepped out of the driver side door.

Barbara rushed to him. "Jason! How did you-"

"Nice to see you too Batgirl. My client is James Gordon." Barbara stepped back stunned.

"Since Gordon started working with the Batman, he decided to create a contingency plan in case the man went rogue. At his request, I have been sending reports between missions about things related to Gotham. He only periodically sent responses, fearing backlash. When I found out that there might be a drug coming to Gotham strong enough to compromise even Batman, I decided to assemble a team."

"And the S.W.A.T. team?"

"Modern privateers. They have military and police experience, but don't like to get their hands messy until the last minute. So I do all the leg-work alone. They will be getting their money from selling off the ship. It was also extremely easy to get a S.W.A.T. truck in this town, by the way."

Black Canary emerged from the fray bruised and bloody, but otherwise stable. "Batgirl, a man in a green suite escaped with a load of boxes laughing maniacally. I caught one his lackeys and he said that they were going to the 'after party.' I called Huntress. She is following them right now."

"We need to get to him!" She turned to Jason and he waved her off. "The situation is under control."

"Where is Batman?" Black Canary shook her head. "He's gone feral. He is beating people literally into the ground." For a moment, she wallowed in her own sadness, and then ran out of the building with Black Canary.

...

Following Huntress's directions they found themselves in of all places, Crime Alley. Preservationists have been trying to save theater behind the alley for years. It had been boarded and chained up for years but a concrete wall was smashed in. They silently entered theater and climbed up the columns that lead to the edge of the theater ceiling, where they met Huntress. "The show is just starting," she whispered.

Where the warehouse was full second-in-command hired guns. This where the real show was. Barbara recognized former commissioner Loeb who was released through a pardon from the governor. Flass who was released for good behavior. A few mayors who stepped down before they could be charged with accepting bribes. Along with the Penguin,Zassze, Harlequin, and a few other colorful criminals.

Riddler stepped out from behind the curtain. "Ladies and Gentlemen, I thank for coming to an event that will fulfill your greatest fantasies! As a bonus you will also receive a gift that will break the spirit of this city thus utterly destroying the work of the man who caused you all so much pain! The Riddler signaled for the curtain to be opened.

Former commissioner James Gordon was laying on a heavy metal slab. His wrists were chained to it. His beard and wild eyes made him look animal-like. He was wearing nothing but a pair of slacks that barely covered his knees. The Riddler poked him with a stick. He leaned up and looked around. Barbara knew her Dad had a hard time seeing without his glasses, but the blurry images he seemed to take in produced a look of fear, and then despair. The audience began to hoot at him. Loeb's voice boomed above them. Flass let out a Cat-call. Gordon fell down and moaned. Barbara was ready to scream.

The Riddler produced a hat. "We will choose by lottery as to who get to strike him first. No kill shots until everyone has received their party favors." He pulled a card out. "The first person is, the penguin!

Barbara lost it. She aimed her grappling gun at the ceiling, ignoring the protest of her associates. She swung down as the penguin approached with his signature umbrella ready. She screamed as she pulled it out of his hands and began to beat him with it.

"It appears we have a bat infestation," the Riddler said comely. "So, we must improv. now. Ladies and Gentlement the stage is now yours."

Black Canary looked to Huntress. "I'm beginning to that team-work is over-rated and exhausting." Huntress nodded her head. "I can't argue with that." She pulled out her own gear. "So do you think you have one last song in you?" Black Canary positioned herself against Huntress, "We'll see."

Barbara fought without restraint. She cut and bruised anyone who came near her father. She didn't care about the drugs anymore. She wanted to save what was left of him. Just as she as gun were being unlocked she heard the Canary cry. It knocked people off their feet. Huntress and Black Canary swooped in and joined the fray. When she got close enough to her associates she pulled out her tranq gun and shot them both. Once they were down they, they weren't targets anymore. This was not a war that could be won.

...

Up from above Bruce watched the scene. He was trying to figure out where the best place would to take down the most targets a possible. Then he looked over and he saw Gordon.

Somehow their eyes locked. Gordon had twenty-thirty vision but they were clear for that moment. Memories began wash over Bruce. Sitting at the table acting bored as Gordon explained an interesting meeting with a man who dressed up like a bat. Gordon blasting him for being in his apartment after his wife took everything. Exchanging gifts one Christmas. Him meeting Dick for the first time. Watching in him fighting for his life countless times in a hospital bed. Seeing him prove that he was more than a administrator in a trench coat when he fought by his side. And seeing the Bat-signal, validation that Batman was not just a creature of the night, but also a trusted protector of Gotham City.

...

Batman swooped onto the stage. He threw a device on the ground below a pressed the switch. The whole theater began to shake violently.

"Batgirl grab your partners and get out!"

She looked up and saw that Bruce had chemically cracked the chains. He had grabbed a very confused Gordon around the waist.

"I promise to take care of him."

Tears streaked down Barbara's face and she nodded. Bruce disappeared through the curtain.

...

Battles were won and lost that night. Gotham City was still on the verge of falling into total chaos. As much as people want to believe that a single group of costumed crime fighters can save a city, it is a thing of fantasy. Every person has a role in society, as a parent, a white collar worker, even as the distributors of alcohol, all have the responsibility to stop the hatred that becomes violence.

There are many loose threads that will need to be addressed at some point. The group of new vigilantes has proven themselves and now it is time for some one to take the lead. But right now, Barbara Gordon is at peace. She questions whether her father will ever find his way back, but she is not going to give up on him again.

And what broke Bruce from his emotionless state? Scientifically it doesn't seem possible. But then, Bruce is a man who has been under a variety of mythological influences over the years. Was it possible that one single emotion broke the bond?

Love.

End of Part 1.

Prepare to find out more about how the fabric of the D.C. universe will change as the result of "The Killing Joke: Role Reversal." after Christmas! Think about the subsequent story lines and begin to wonder about how things might change. Good Night Folks! I work 9-5 tomorrow and I'm going to be a zombie! How do you explain to co-workers that you spent all night writing a comic fan fic. for fun?

Love how it all came together in the end!

Although, I would have preferred if Batman had been unknowingly drugged, rather than just take it.

But Babs punching him resolved that, in my book.

Keep up the great work!

Wow nice job!

@OracleX: Any more of this role reversal?