Loki pulled back a bit of the cover on one of the paintings, then slowly covered it back up. \u201c\u2026I thought you said that you had examples of the Old Masters, Joker,\u201d he hissed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI do!\u201d protested the Joker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThen which of the Old Masters is J. Todd?\u201d Loki yanked the cover off to reveal that it was a relatively recently-done abstract painting with the artist\u2019s name on the lower right corner! The Joker had a horrible thought and pulled back the covers to reveal more abstract paintings with artists like D. Grayson, B. Gordon, A. Pennyworth, D. Wayne, and so on! The Joker returned his attention to the phone call.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYOU CAPED CREEP!\u201d he shouted. \u201cYOU SWITCHED PAINTINGS ON ME! THESE ARE NOTHING MORE THAN KINDERGARTEN DRAWINGS!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019ll have you know,\u201d replied Batman, \u201cthose people worked hard on those paintings. Besides, a Kindergartener\u2019s mind could have anticipated you and Loki\u2019s every move. This caper was more obvious than any I\u2019ve had to solve.\u201d Loki overheard that and grabbed the phone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou can say that over the phone, Mortal!\u201d snarled the ticked-off Asgardian. \u201cIf you weren\u2019t hiding behind this thing, you\u2019d know the wrath of Loki!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThen demonstrate it to us!\u201d challenged Batman as he and his group crashed through the window or burst from the door!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cStay where you are!\u201d called the Doctor. \u201cWe have you covered!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLights out!\u201d called the Joker as he hit the light switch, plunging the room into darkness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cActivate infra-red!\u201d Iron Man called. His suit\u2019s eyes turned red. Batman tapped the side of his cowl and activated night vision. Wolverine had all of his senses enhanced, so his hearing and smell helped him in the darkened fight. Iron Man then deployed drones that shone a light for the Doctor, Tysar, and Wonder Woman. The Joker tried to whack a frying pan on Wolverine\u2019s skull, but it snapped at the handle and only gave Wolverine a minor headache.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026Huh, you really DO have a hard head,\u201d remarked the Joker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDamn straight, bub!\u201d Wolverine decked the Joker with enough force to knock him into Loki. That gave the Doctor enough to jab her pinky finger under Loki\u2019s chin and paralyze him long enough for Batman to deck him! Both tricksters were now in a heap, groaning in pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026That was\u2026remarkably simplistic,\u201d said the Doctor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Joker and Loki were handcuffed. Normal handcuffs for the Joker and special Asgardian handcuffs for Loki that Thor had commissioned the Asgardian smiths to make for the Avengers to use on their most powerful villains. \u201cThor will be coming to take you away and hide the Time Stone,\u201d Iron Man explained to Loki.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhy you let a lunatic like the Joker learn about the Infinity Stones,\u201d growled Woman, \u201cI\u2019ll never understand. You realize he was going to betray you, yes?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHow?\u201d asked Loki. \u201cHis attempt at betrayal wouldn\u2019t have compared to mine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d remarked the Doctor. \u201cJokerized Daleks would certainly do it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026I\u2019m sorry, did you say Jokerized DALEKS?\u201d asked Loki.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHe\u2019d snatch them from my time, if you\u2019d care to know,\u201d explained Wonder Woman. Loki then turned on the Joker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThen what was the point of the painting theft?!\u201d he shouted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cA rough idea on where and when to send my Jokerized Daleks to,\u201d replied the Joker. \u201cYou have to admit, having cackling squids in tanks causing terror during the Renaissance would have been funny!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat\u2019s too severe of a breach of the laws of time!\u201d protested Loki. \u201cAnd it would make it hard for you to gloat after the event, even with the Time Stone! With Omega running around, I wouldn\u2019t do something that insane!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPerhaps you can tell me where you heard about Omega returning,\u201d said the Doctor. \u201cYou know that if he regains his full might, he\u2019ll take over all of time and space.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI only saw him once as he fled his then-hiding place on Karn,\u201d revealed Loki. \u201cNot out of fear of the Sisterhood, but with intent to go elsewhere to conduct his plans. All the Time Stone could tell me as I retrieved it from Karn was that he went in the direction of Irk. When during its history, I cannot say.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe Irken Homeworld, hm?\u201d quizzed the Doctor. \u201cYou realize I\u2019ll have to confirm your words.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPah! You\u2019re too wound tight, Doctor!\u201d scoffed the Joker. Batman then approached.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cA SHIELD helicarrier\u2019s coming to collect Loki,\u201d he said. \u201cYou, Joker, are going back to Arkham.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYeah, sure, put me in the looney bin like always!\u201d cackled the Joker. \u201cYou\u2019ve heard of the definition of insanity, right Bats? Ah, what am I saying?! We\u2019re two of a kind! Of course, you have!\u201d Commissioner Gordon then approached the group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe paintings are back in the museum,\u201d he said to Batman. \u201cThough I gotta admit, the bait paintings might have a place in a museum of modern art.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThank you, Commissioner,\u201d replied Batman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The heroes returned to the Batcave once Loki and the Joker were sent to their respective destinations. The Doctor led Iron Man, Wolverine, and Wonder Woman into the TARDIS. \u201cWell, this HAS been fun!\u201d said the Doctor. \u201cTime to send you all home. \u2026Diana\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSave it, Doctor,\u201d replied Wonder Woman. \u201cI\u2019m going to do what I do best and the Daleks can\u2019t take that from me.\u201d She drew her sword and adopted a warrior\u2019s stance. \u201cSend me back.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCoordinates confirmed,\u201d said the Doctor. \u201cAway you go. Good luck.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFor Themyscira!\u201d called Wonder Woman as she faded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAs for you boys, you two ready?\u201d asked Tysar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cJust cut to the chase so I can get back to teaching those brats!\u201d grumbled Wolverine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat, no beer waiting for you?\u201d asked Iron Man.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMr. Stark, an alcoholic like you has no room to talk,\u201d remarked the Doctor as she started the return process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHey! I\u2019m a RECOVERING alcoholic, thank-!\u201d Iron Man\u2019s protests were cut off as he and Wolverine faded. By then, Batman and Alfred entered the TARDIS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThey\u2019re gone, then,\u201d stated Batman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYes, back to their times,\u201d said the Doctor. She looked up Wonder Woman\u2019s history. \u201c\u2026She\u2019s helped people escape the concentration camps the Daleks set up, but in the final day of the Daleks\u2019 Occupation, roughly about when their plans went belly-up, she dueled a Dalek and was exterminated just as her sword went through the Dalek\u2019s squishy interior, killing it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026She dies in battle, then,\u201d sighed Batman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe last of the Justice League,\u201d said the Doctor. \u201cBut she was buried with honor when her body was found a few minutes later. The mourners used the funerary rites of Ancient Greece, even burying her with two drachmas.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026Knowing her and the other Amazons, she\u2019s probably in the Isles of the Blessed,\u201d mused Batman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cKnowing her valor and that of her sisters and mother, most likely,\u201d agreed the Doctor. \u201cNow, we must depart. Loki said that Omega was on the Irken Homeworld and there are signs of chronal surges centered around that planet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBefore you go, Doctor,\u201d said Batman as he took off the cowl and revealed his face as Bruce Wayne, \u201ccan I have my desk back?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOh, it\u2019ll be back in its proper place once we leave,\u201d assured the Doctor. \u201cI mean, you have to admit,\u201d she pointed at the desk currently in the far corner of the console room, \u201cit doesn\u2019t exactly match the d\u00e9cor.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTrue, it doesn\u2019t,\u201d agreed Bruce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAll right, unless you wanna take the desk\u2019s place,\u201d said the Doctor, \u201cand subsequently help me and Tysar with the Grouping, you may wish to exit the TARDIS.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026I think I\u2019ll pass on a trip,\u201d replied Bruce. \u201cSee you sometime.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSee you sometime, Bruce!\u201d returned the Doctor. Bruce then left the TARDIS. The Doctor pulled the take-off lever and the desk vanished. \u201cThere we go!\u201d she said to Tysar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026Doctor, concerning what Loki said,\u201d said Tysar, \u201cdo you think that he\u2019s lying?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026Possible,\u201d replied the Doctor. \u201cBut we have to see. I\u2019m having the TARDIS check for any chronal surges and-.\u201d She was interrupted by a beeping noise from the console. \u201cThere we go!\u201d She checked the readings. \u201c\u2026Okay, as I said, there ARE three chronal surges centered around Irk,\u201d she reported. \u201cLet\u2019s see\u2026ah, two are from Hyrule, one is from Disney Castle, and the time period on Irk they\u2019re being sent to is\u2026oh.\u201d The Doctor\u2019s face fell. \u201c\u2026Oh dear.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDoctor?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026Tysar, I need you to promise that you can\u2019t change history,\u201d said the Doctor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDoctor, you\u2019re scaring me,\u201d replied Tysar. \u201cWhat\u2019s so dangerous about that time?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026That time period is when Tallest Zim becomes the last Irken alive,\u201d explained the Doctor. \u201cA mighty enemy attacks and slaughters every single Irken, save for Zim. Who that enemy is, I don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026That\u2019s not\u2026a fixed point in time, is it?\u201d asked Tysar. The Doctor sighed and could only nod. \u201c\u2026Then there\u2019s nothing we can do for the Irkens?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026Not without breaking time,\u201d sighed the Doctor. Tysar thought for a while.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026That\u2019s\u2026that\u2019s going to be difficult to promise,\u201d she finally said. \u201c\u2026But I will not interfere.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGood. Because we can\u2019t rewrite history, not one line.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSo we find our Grouping Victims, get them back to their homes, and get out of there before the Irken Genocide.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat\u2019s the plan.\u201d The Doctor set the coordinates and the TARDIS spun through the Time Vortex.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Loki pulled back a bit of the cover on one of the paintings, then slowly covered it back up. \u201c\u2026I thought you said that you had examples of the Old Masters, Joker,\u201d he hissed. \u201cI do!\u201d protested the Joker. \u201cThen which of the Old Masters is J. Todd?\u201d Loki yanked the cover off to reveal […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6809,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[959,1084],"tags":[961,14,35,963,962,1072,1075],"class_list":["post-7984","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-doctor-who-crossings","category-series-7","tag-avengers","tag-batman","tag-doctor-who","tag-fan-companion","tag-fan-doctor","tag-justice-league","tag-x-men"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7984","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7984"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7984\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7985,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7984\/revisions\/7985"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6809"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7984"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7984"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7984"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}