Little mishaps (Batjokes)

1- The Prologue

It had been on his radar for months, that Scarecrow was planning something. Bruce was tipped off on it, the moment he had teamed up with the Joker. A deadly duo, really. Ace chemicals was his first gamble, but when nothing was amiss there, he began to look within the Narrows. A usual spot for them both, when trying to be secretive.

It was the second month in on him searching, when he had gotten a lead. A heist gone wrong. Harley Quinn had only been attempting to take something, but had been caught. A week later, when he found the Joker cards and the missing vials of chemicals did he know it was for Scarecrow.

Whatever they were planning, it seemed big.

The Joker cards didn't lead him with much besides the perpetrator, but it was more so the confession from Harley that did it.  At first she wouldn't say anything, but the moment it was revealed Joker had to steal it afterwards, she spilled. "Mr. J is gonna be so mad at me, I was supposed 'ta be quick! Him and Jonny are gonna take you down!" Those were the main sentences that tipped him off, he tuned out the rest of her rambling.

He assumed, by her wording, that their safehouse was close to the chemical plant they had stole from. Searching around had seemed pointless, until he found them. A small little place, in a new area recently built. It was a stupid move, to go somewhere with surveillance, yet smart all the same, considering it was truly the last place he had thought to look.

"Just add this in!" He heard the clown speak, as he perched himself outside the window. "If we add too much, it could reverse the effects entirely." Scarecrow argued, and he dared to peak into the room.

Joker scoffed, as he popped the cap off of a vial. "Well then how much do you recommend we add, smart guy? Cuz I'm getting awfully impatient with how long this is taking!"

"Just a drop. Maybe less. It shouldn't take much extra effort, the effects are almost perfected" Jonathan Crane huffed, watching the Joker pour the liquid into the vat in front of them. Joker grinned, as he added extra than told, watching Scarecrow pull it away. "Joker! Do you want this to fail!?"

"Course not, but I'm sure the Bat can handle a bit extra of whatever this pink gooky-shit is"

"We only want him to de-age. We do not need him to forget his memories, too" Jonny spoke, taking the vial and stashing it away. Bruce pondered on their words. De-age? Was that even possible? He was sure it was, with what other madmen of Gotham managed to achieve.

"Definitely not" Joker sighed, sitting himself down with an overly dramatic pout. "Can't have the Bat forgetting lil' old me!"

"Sure" Scarecrow ignored him, in favour of adding more into the concoction. "Though with how much you added, I'm sure he would do now. You complain about it taking so long, and yet you set us back"

"Blah, blah, blah! Your seriously starting to piss.me.off, Jonny." Joker looked like he had something more to say, until he fell silent. The moment his head whipped to the window, Bruce quickly ducked down. Shit.

"Jonny, dear, I think we might have some company" Bruce heard shuffling, and quickly made his way to the other window. No point hiding now, yet he could at least get himself an advantage. He jumped through the window, met face to face with the clown. "Batsy, dear! Oh how I've missed you!"

"This vat, what's in it? What's this about?!" He demanded to know, and watched Joker's grin grow. "I'm sure you'd love to know, darling, but it simply ain't ready yet! Don't worry, Batsy, you can bathe in it soon!"

All idle chatter, as Scarecrow escaped. Bruce wasn't going to let that happen, though. Throwing a batterang, he caught Jonny's shirt against the wall before he could flea. Batman dodged, as Joker's blade swung towards him. 

He was caught between them both, and fully considered calling back-up, until their make-shift vat spilled over. The concoction began to fill the floor. Scarecrow ran, and Bruce had no choice but to let him, as he quickly escaped touching the liquid. 

Batman jumped atop a bookcase, and reached out for Joker to take his hand. "Joker, come on!"

But the quicker the liquid spilled, the further Joker was forced into the corner of the room. He watched the clown surveillance the room for an escape, and his eyes landed on the window Bruce had been watching them from. He watched the man risk it and leg it towards the exit, before he yelped, tripping on something unseen underneath the oozing mix. "Joker!"

He fell face first into the liquid, and Bruce watched with startling worry as the man began to literally shrink. He used his grappling hook to grab the heap of the man underneath the liquid, watching as he was pulled over. Though, this was no longer Joker. The clothes hung on him loosely, and was it possible that he actually had a skin tone now? 

"Joker?"

He watched tiny eyes look up at him, he couldn't have been older than ten. He just looked like a boy, green locks turning blonde and white skin picking up a natural pale tone. "W-What's happening? Who are you?!"

Bruce stared at this little boy, who was the madman of Gotham but definitely no longer that, unsure of quite how to fix this.

"What's your name, kid?"

"J-Jack...Jack Napier. What's happening, Mister?"

A weird change of events, indeed.