Batman: The Animated Series

Full Circle


Black silence enveloped the ambience of flutters and chattering of buttons inside the bat cave. Batman watched a news report on a monitor; the incarceration of Two-Face at Arkham asylum, apprehended by Batman.“ Well, that’s the fireworks that were stolen from the charity bash accounted for, but there’s still the equipment stolen from the new library’s construction site…” An unmoved Batman uttered.

“He got... lucky” Two-Face’s voice rasped from the monitor.

“ I knew it was Harvey’s style to work with something unpredictable, and it was only a matter of time…” Batman had to deal with the conflict between himself and his feelings toward his old friend. He had grieved, but knew he couldn’t dwell on it.

“Good timing, I suppose, Master Bruce?” Alfred’s idle talk and quick wit always masked his supportive and understanding nature. The news anchor interrupted.

“-Just in; sightings of heavy machinery en route to Wayne enterprise’s library on Dewside lane speeding out of control. Police are being noti-“ Now standing from his armchair, Batman turned off the monitor and strode to his batmobile.

“Perhaps it is luck.” Said Alfred with his dry, British humor in his watered down sarcasm as the batmobile drove away.


Dimmed traffic lights arched over the intersection outside the soon to be library and never again bank. The tumble of cement mixers sealed the bank’s mahogany doors with their bleak grayness, breaking a dark path into the side. Poised in the center of the street, a shaded figure’s pale gloves stood out from the deep blue uniform to catch the light from oncoming traffic and guide it along. Turning aside, a wicked grin with a tinge of yellow would catch a glimpse of light and let out the Joker’s calm, shrill voice.

“Haaard work! I could go for a nice T-bone; good for the environment, I hear!”

A gentle call with his left hand would be followed with an eager flick of his right; bringing one car forward to be slammed by another side-on. His toybox laughter whirred in harmony with the twin engines as they scraped their way to a ringing stop from a telephone booth following the crash.

Joker tsk’d sharply “All so eager for their turn” before pinging a quarter into the air toward the wreckage.

A whimpering few shuffled out of the cars and wailed away. Another laugh timed with a crackling blast from the wall of the bank, his henchmen marching out of the vault with the loot chiming in hand. Joker’s hands conducted them along from the middle of the road into a rumbling Van. Surveying the damage with glee, the Joker paused to pull a metal whistle from his uniform and abruptly sound a screeching halt from a car ahead. His collected steps toward the driver’s door and easy tug on the handle would be joined with a slip of a meek pocket knife at his side from his sleeve.

The driver’s commotion irked the Joker, who gave a flash of his police badge and a vibrant “Ah, ah, ah… safety first…”

Joker promptly brought his intimidating knife up to the man’s scrunched face before a punch from his spare hand upside the head would drag the man’s cheek against the blade for a neat slice. With his attention to the man’s neglecting to wear a seat belt, he briskly pulled and cut up the safety belts from the two front seats and wound them around the drowsed man.

“Now for your going away present” Joker chuckled ominously as he looked back at a smoldering piece of debris from the break-in and brought the heavy handful back with a sigh. “I always get these for Christmas…” Joker let the thick lump drop onto the accelerator, rearing the car toward a power box.


A muffled shot fired. Whirling metal sprung out, dragging wires on the wind of the night. The sleek end of batman’s grappling hook hinged into the window frame of the car door; batman’s cloak spreading over the roof as he swiftly landed. Reaching down, he swung the car door open to swing inside, withdrawing a batarang to slash away at the bindings. Another shot from his grappler, lifted away the hapless victim, his cloak shielding from the explosion a safe distance away.


“Batman!” yelled an annoyed Joker who raced his way to the get-away van in time. Batman’s presence alone would cleanse the lingering stench of crime from the air. The quick bat would waste no time in pursuing the Joker; uncovering his batmobile from a bush, firing up its engines and racing away.

“Wah we gon’ do now, baws?” trembled one of his few subordinates. “Shut up and give me the wheel!” spited Joker, recently having shed his disguise along with his patience. “It’s time for plan ‘A’ to spring into action…”


In the driver’s seat, there was a blinding flash from behind. The batmobile was gaining, but the Joker continued making hasty maneuvers and tight corners, before letting Batman chase him onto the freeway. His smile curled into a grin with Batman just behind him.
A sharp swerve later, he hissed “Damn, missed him again! Those speed bumps I spread out along this freeway with those mixers earlier oughta teach the wretched Bat… “
The Joker sprang another smile from a quick thought, suddenly hitting the breaks, which Batman predictably drove around, into one of the unmarked, stubby ramps, launching the Batmobile into the air as the Joker drove on. A hearty cackle filled the air, before the Joker saw the Batmobile gaining once more, this time rushing into another speed bump. The perplexed Joker’s mouth gaped once he saw the Batmobile take flight –and let its parachute out, allowing itself to land in front of the Joker. For fear of losing momentum, he swerved to the side and into his own trap; the heavy van spun out and flipped into the railing of the freeway. A dazed Joker awoke to the familiar sound of his cell at Arkham asylum embracing him with its cold, resounding slam.