The Lego Batman Movie 2: Jokes On Me

Chapter 8

As the villians all split off into little groups to chat after his speech, almost like cliques of teenagers, the Joker begins to squeal and bounce from foot to foot. Harley Quinn glides up to him and has a smile with just as much excitement behind it.

"Are you excited to have Batman defeat you yet again, Mr. J?"
Joker nods viciously, then gives an almost girly sigh.
"Yes, but I'm mostly just excited to have him near me...."
Quinn giggles. "You two make one of the cutest couples, and so loyal at that. I'm so glad that your still this giddy for him."

Joker looks out the window and holds his hands together in front of him, rocking on his heels. "I wonder where he is right now, describing how to stop me to his team so we can be alone once again, kiss our goodbyes and meet again the next day to do everything that's anything but villianous."

Harley blushes. "It sounds lovely. This will be a very good plan, Mr. J."
"Why thank you!~ once again my enemy and I thought of it together. Mostly him, but i tried to make it as big and gaudy as possible. Hopefully he tells me i 'hit it out of the park' again." He squees quietly, biting his lip.

Harley pats his back. "Okay, we should get to moving it to the top of the casino and get the plan under way."

Joker nods in agreement. "Right." He clears his throat and jumps up onto the desk. "Alright everyone! Let's get this show on the road!"

The villians cheer as the bigger ones stalk over to the machine, ready to drag it up to the roof.

"Harley? Would you go get the blimp so we can lift this bubble-blaster to the Casino?"
"Right away Mr. J!" She salutes and once again glides away.

Soon the Bubble Bazooka is strapped under the bloated blimp, and flown off to the tallest Casino in Gotham City. The Joker is plopped in the seat of it, Harley driving the blimp. He gazes down at the city, his hands on his cheeks and his elbows on the armrest. "It's even more beautiful from up here.....im so lucky Batman loves the nightlife just as much as i do..." he sighs, looking around, almost hoping for Batman to be flying past him in his Bat-plane to blow him a kiss.

Soon Harley pilots the blimp over the Casino, and carefully sets the Bubble Blowing Blaster down on the rooftop. The Joker slides off the chair and starts unstrapping it from the blimp. When he's finished Harley cranks down the tiny window.

"Is that all Mr. J?"
"For now yes! Thank you Harley! All we need now is the others.....and as much dynamite as we can carry!"

********

Barbara, Batman and Robin hop out of the Scuttler and head to the weapons room, and when Robin finds one harpoon but can't find any others, he runs over to the giant tub of pieces and begins to build more exactly like the first one.
Batman watches in absolute pride. "What a smart kid. Just like his Pops."

Barbara looks at Robin, then at Batman giving his son such a loving look. Once again she finds her heart pounding. How did she not see what a loving father he was sooner?

"Um, Bruce?"
"Yeah Barb?" He glances over at her before turning his attention back to his pride and joy.
"Uh.......well I.....I think I have something.......important to ask you....."
Batman gulps, hoping she didn't see the new motorcycle on the way in here, and especially not the massive pile of holiday cards from a certain little green-haired Jokester.
"Well Barbara maybe now isn't the best time. We've got to stop the Joker before he blows up Gotham City."
"That's true but this is really-"
"Whatever it is, think of it as a 'no'. Okay? Now let's get down to business."

Barbara looks completely offended, but takes a second to put together in her mind what she was even going to ask him.
She wanted to tell him that she really admires how much of a great father he is. And to tell him that she's been wanting to connect with him on a closer level for a small while now, to get to know him. If she had to ask him a question, she guesses it would be "Do you like me?"

And Batman says no? So is he saying he doesn't feel for her? Like, feel anything but a business-like partnership? Is he seeing someone else? Did she come forward too late? Or worse, does he think being all alone is better than being with her?

But.......he couldn't have known that's what she was gonna ask....right? Yeah, that's silly. His answer can't possibly mean the same thing for a different kind of question. What if she had asked "Are you seeing someone?"
Wait....what if by saying no, he's just telling her to give up on it? If he says 'no' to her asking if he's seeing someone, is he either saying he'd be happier alone without her, or that he just wants her to give up?

Every bad possibility runs through her head and chokes her on its paranoia, before Batman gently shakes her shoulder to snap her out of it.

"Barb. Earth to Barb. Robin's done."

When Barb looks ahead she sees an army of harpoons scattered around Robin, while he salutes to Batman.

"Built, loaded and ready for action Padre!"
Batman gives a pleasant nod and holds out his hand for one of Robin's favorite things: a High Five. The saytisfying sound of a smack echos through the room. Barbara picks up as many harpoons as she can carry and daydreams once again as they load the Scuttler for an all-out war against the Joker.