“Well, that complicates things!” grumbled Tysar as the Batmobile sped away. She then took in her surroundings. “…Did you upgrade this thing?” she asked Batman.
“Of course,” replied Batman. “Now, my knowledge on the time stone is limited. What is it?”
“One of the six Infinity Stones, Bats,” replied Iron Man. “As advertised, it can control time for the user. Bring it and the other five Infinity Stones together, the whole universe is your playground. That’s what a guy called Thanos wants them for.”
“Thanos didn’t last long against the Daleks,” remarked Wonder Woman.
“I take it I was gunned down by them,” said Batman.
“No, thankfully,” replied Wonder Woman. “It was just old age that took you and our friends.”
“Yes, the invasion that Wonder Woman’s talking about,” said the Doctor, “started in 2157 and lasted a decade. The Daleks used a plague of their own design.”
“A breach of the Geneva Conventions, huh?” remarked Wolverine.
“They don’t consider any laws made by non-Daleks to be superior to their own. …Now what would the Joker want with an Infinity Stone? I mean, aside from the obvious ‘nothing good’, why should that anarchist want the time stone?”
“And how will his deal with the Joker help him fight this Omega guy?” asked Iron Man.
“Questions, questions,” muttered the Doctor. “…Though, admittedly, one of them is minor.”
“Doctor?” asked Tysar.
“How did Loki recognize me? I met him in a previous incarnation. …Then again, the Asgardians know about how Time Lords regenerate, so he probably picked up on context clues.”
“What do we do, then?” asked Wolverine. “We can’t exactly waltz up to them with the time stone.”
“Oracle’s looking into that right now,” replied Batman.
“Oracle? Who’s that?” asked Iron Man.
“My tech person. She can look things up with ease. Perhaps the Joker’s men got sloppy when they had to move.” The console of the Batmobile beeped. Batman pressed a button. “Go ahead.”
“Batman, your hunch was right,” said a woman’s voice. “The Joker’s got his own plans for the time stone.”
“Hey, lady, how do you know about the time stone?!” snarled Wolverine.
“I can hear everything, Logan,” replied Oracle. Wolverine snarled and was ready to unsheathe his claws. “In any event, the Joker’s planning on taking over the plan. That’s why he went after the Gotham City Renaissance Art Collection. He’s using the art pieces as a sort of temporal map and intends to use the time stone to send Daleks into those eras. Before that, though, he intends to inject them with his Joker Venom.”
“I know he’s mad,” said the Doctor, “but Dalek casings have all sorts of defenses to protect the internal creature. He’d need to dissect one in order to figure out how to infect one with his Joker Venom and he’ll lose a lot of men in the attempt.”
“He won’t care,” replied Batman. “All just to build up to the sick punchline.”
“He’s just doing this because he can? That’s his justification?” asked Tysar.
“That’s his justification for anything,” answered Batman.
“Well, even if he succeeds, I’m positive I don’t want to see the results of a Jokerized Dalek,” remarked the Doctor. She then noticed something. “Um, we’re going to-.”
“Yes,” said Batman. They then went through a waterfall beneath Wayne Manor.
“Batman, are you sure-?” asked Wonder Woman as she pointed to Iron Man and Wolverine.
“Oh, we already know each other’s identities,” replied Iron Man. “Tends to happen when you’re genius billionaire playboy philanthropists.” Batman then parked the Batmobile in its usual place in the Batcave. “So, Brucie, what’s the plan?” asked Iron Man.
“Well, Stark Naked,” replied Batman, “there’s another reason why the Joker stole those paintings. Unlike us, money isn’t easy to come by for him, and he needs it until he fulfills his grand design.”
“So he’s gonna sell renaissance art off when he’s done with that map of his?” asked Wolverine.
“It won’t do him any good,” replied the Doctor. “If he sends a Jokerized Dalek into the time period the painting was born in, it will vanish.”
“Well, that WOULD make my part harder,” said Batman as he took off the cowl. Alfred then arrived.
“Master Bruce, I-.” He stopped when he saw the guests. “…Mr. Stark,” he began. “Mr. Howlett. Your Highness. And welcome back, Doctor and Miss Tysar. I would have thought you’d be back home.”
“Not until the Grouping is settled, Alfred,” replied Tysar.
“As a matter of fact, that’s why these three are here,” said the Doctor as she gestured to Iron Man, Wolverine, and Wonder Woman. “The boys are from 2027 while Wonder Woman’s from 2167. It’s a ghastly future, but it’s a future humanity will overcome.”
“So you can see why we need to find the Doctor’s TARDIS as well as stop the Joker and Loki,” said Wonder Woman.
“Oh, I can easily tell you where the TARDIS is, Doctor,” said Alfred. “It is currently in Master Bruce’s office, but it materialized around his desk whilst I was dusting it. I took the liberty of dusting the console room before I left.”
“Oh, thank you very much!” bid the Doctor. “I’ve been trying to dust it myself, but in my life, one thing leads to another and it’s been two centuries before you finally do it!”
“My pleasure, Ma’am. Now, what’s this about the Joker and the Norse god of fire and mischief?”
“The Joker’s trying to get the time stone from Loki, Alfred,” explained Batman. “One of the six Infinity Stones that can make its user do anything with a literal snap of their fingers if they’re wearing the proper gauntlet.”
“…I’m guessing the time stone is called as such because it controls time,” said Alfred.
“That’s correct, old friend,” replied Diana. “The Joker plans to use it to swipe aliens that invaded at least ten years ago in my time and inject them with Joker Venom, then send them into different points in the Renaissance.”
“Good grief! Send lunatics into a period of rediscovery?! Have them wreak havoc in that period?! Possibly kill the Old Masters?! That would explain why he stole those paintings! You were right to enact that plan, Sir!”
“Plan?” asked the Doctor.
“Over there,” replied Bruce as he pointed at a room adjacent to the main Batcave. Everyone looked inside to paintings with cloths draped over them.
“…The Gotham City Renaissance Art Collection?” asked Wonder Woman.
“Wait, if the Old Masters’ work is here,” said the Doctor, “…then what does the Joker have?”
“Batman, the Joker and Loki have been spotted in a hotel room,” warned Oracle.
“They’re playing chicken with their alliance,” remarked the Doctor.
“Oracle, does your dad know?” asked Bruce.
“He’s ready for the Joker’s inevitable call. Sending you the address and room.” The address and room showed up on the Batcomputer’s screen.
“Perfect,” said Bruce as he lowered the cowl over his eyes. “Let’s go, everyone. The Joker’s got a nasty surprise waiting for him.”
The Joker and Loki arrived in their hotel room, littered with paintings covered by cloths. “I still say we need to get my spear back!” urged Loki.
“In time, my friend. In time,” soothed the Joker. “For now, I have a call to make.” He then dialed a number. The person picked up.
“Commissioner Gordon here.”
“Working late nights, Commissioner?” asked the Joker.
“JOKER!” snarled Commissioner Gordon.
“I thought I’d present you something for all the years we’ve had our relationship!” cackled the Joker.
“If you’re trying to bribe me-!”
“A bribe? Don’t be so gauche! I intend to present you with the entire Gotham City Renaissance Art Collection as a gift!”
“Renaissance Art Collection, huh? I thought it was your calling card at the museum!”
“Well, I can safely say that they’re all safe and sound,” continued the Joker, “so I’ll be giving them back! Now isn’t that nice of me? Of course, there’s a slight delivery charge of 22 million dollars! I’d ordinarily ask for 10 million, but I have a lawyer on retainer. So pay up before 6 AM, or I burn the entire collection!”
“You DO know that Batman’s after you, yeah?” asked Commissioner Gordon.
“Batman! HAH!” laughed the Joker. “That Kooky Kleptomaniac stole a spear from my friend and scurried away to his Batcave, afraid of the power Loki has!”
“Loki? Who’s that?” asked Commissioner Gordon.
“Why, Commissioner! Aren’t you familiar with Norse Mythology?!” At that point, a new voice entered the call.
“Lots of people call themselves Loki,” said the new and familiar raspy voice. “Mainly people Commissioner Gordon’s keeping locked up.”
“Batman! You’re on the line too!” cackled the Joker. “Hiding out in the Commissioner’s office, are we?”
“My friends and I hope you don’t mind,” replied Batman.
“So, that Doctor and the other members of the cape and costume crowd are with you too!” The Joker allowed himself a giggle. “Well, you all had better stay there! Because if I catch any single one of you outside, I’m going to personally pin your pointed ears back, you hear?!”
“Of course,” answered Batman. “So, you have paintings, I hear.”
“Oh, I have dozens of them!” confirmed the Joker. “And each one, an Old Master!”
“You don’t say,” said Batman.
“…Yes, I DO say,” replied the Joker, now concerned about the tone in Batman’s voice. Loki got suspicious and went to remove the cover of one of the paintings.