UNIVERSE BOWL: CHAPTER VII: ANARCHY AT ARKHAM

            The passing clouds swallow the sun in the plains area of the Playoff Planet.  A short time transpires as the overcast sky becomes a raging gambit of thunder and lightning.  The clown prince shambles through the muddy ground.  Approximately one hundred yards in front of him, the Joker notices a dilapidated barn surrounded by a wooden fence.  He presses against the fence and scans the building.  As a flash of lightning ignites the sky, the Joker now recognizes the structure for what it truly is.  The building morphs into an exact scale replica of Gotham’s famous Arkham Asylum.  The Joker shakes his head in confusion, yet laughs nonetheless.  The jester pushes through the wrought iron gate of Arkham and trots to the lone building, his M202A1 Flash rocket launcher in tow.  Lightning crashes in the sky and the shadow of a twisted clown is spawned from the glare.  The front door creaks as the Joker enters into the building. 

            This truly is Arkham, he says to himself.  What a treat for me! My home turf!

           The Joker slowly paces across the floor.  The deviate cocks his head.  He hears the flapping of wings.  The Joker readies himself for a fight. 

            “Come out.  Come out,” cackles the Joker, “wherever you are!”

            The Vulture swoops down and hits the Joker from behind.  Although the Joker strikes the ground at the impact of the blow, he manages to hold onto his weapon.  The Joker slowly rises from the ground.

            “I heard,” grunts the Joker, “that vulture tastes like chicken!”

            The Joker presses the weapon’s ignition and the rocket screams from the launcher, barely missing the Vulture.

            “Missed me you cackling imbecile!” replies the Vulture.

            “Merely a distraction,” states the Joker in a matter of fact manner as he fires the second rocket into the ceiling above the Vulture. 

            The Vulture is unable to avoid the shockwave of the blast since it throws him to the ground.  While attempting to gain his senses, the area of the ceiling where the rocket struck collapses onto the flying villain.  The Vulture is trapped under the rubble, but he manages to gain ground in his escape.

            “May be overkill,” says the Joker,  “but what the H#ll?”

            The Joker fires another rocket which storms into the rubble, obliterating the Vulture and the area around him.   A green piece of suit, feather and flesh land on the Joker, who wipes the debris from his lapel and, with his finger, puts the detritus under his nose. 

            “Not sure about the taste,” laughs the Joker, “but sure smells like chicken.  HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”

            The Joker begins to walk away from the Vulture’s remains when he notices that the wreckage begins to shudder.  He turns around and aims his weapon at the area.  A layer of sand shimmies from the location toward the Joker.  The sand rises and sculpts itself into the Sandman.  Sandman’s fist solidifies and smacks the Joker across the floor.

            The Joker is slow to rise.  He sees the Sandman walking toward him.  The Joker manages to reach his weapon.

            “Time to fly - pun intended for your dead friend there,” laughs the Joker as he runs down the hall. 

            A pumpkin bomb brushes across Joker’s suit and explodes to his left.  The Joker is rattled, but he manages to turn around long enough to fire a rocket at his pursuer.  The Hobgoblin’s glider easily manages to avoid the projectile and its rider continues his pursuit of the enemy. 

            A symphony of pandemonium erupts as both pumpkin bombs and rockets are launched from the Hobgoblin’s hands and glider at the Joker.  The walls around the duo are decimated and water engulfs the area as something is struck by the projectiles.  

            The Joker lies on the slick ground without his rocket launcher.  As Hobgoblin is about to kill the maniac, his glider is hit from behind by a blue fist.  The Hobgoblin careens out of control and the glider throws its master off.  Kit Fisto, with his blue lantern ring, floats to the skirmish. 

            “You may have bungled the mind of my associate,” says Fisto, “but a Jedi does not succumb to such mind tricks.”

            Electro arcs from behind the Jedi and places both hands around the skull of Fisto.

            “Don’t need mind tricks,” says Electro, “but I’m going to fry your brain anyway.”

            The full amplitude of Electro’s ability rip through Fisto and a bright light of the Horsemen is suddenly and unexpectedly extinguished.  The Joker’s jaw drops in shocked anguish.   The Joker’s twisted mind realizes, that in this league, no matter how powerful of a character one may be, anything can happen. . . and no one is safe.

            The Joker laughs at this terrifying thought.  He then notices four metallic legs curl around the corner. Doctor Octopus stands in front of the Joker.
 

            “I am impressed that an adulterated imbecile such as yourself lasted as long as you did.  What is even more impressive is the fact that your Jedi was of no use to you.  Laughable. . . as are you.   

            The arms of Doctor Octopus surround the Joker.  The Joker’s laughs commence and are soon extinguished as he is ripped apart by the robotic arms. 

            Hobgoblin, Electro, Sandman and Doctor Octopus join Mysterio.  Arkham Asylum slowly dissipates into the shambling barn to which the Joker’s vision truly was. 

            “Never ceases to amaze me. . . ” begins Mysterio, “the human brain.  I have to admit that I am surprised that my toxin I placed on the gate was able to work on a twisted mind such as the Joker, but it has worked before and I’m sure it will work again.  Didn’t even need it for the Jedi; no wonder why Order 66 was so successful. ”