OUR HOLIDAY TALE WILL BE TAKING ITS FINAL TURN,
IN MERE MOMENTS!

And Earns Him Justice Swift

Before he had left her, the Joker had started Batgirl’s world spinning out of control. With her body encased in his terrible top, she tried to think clearly as the rapidly increasing feeling of dizziness churning her stomach and the building pressure of g-forces exerted itself both steadily and more prominently upon her.

Batgirl felt the familiar mingling of adrenaline and fear as she went on whirling. She had tested her bonds before the top had begun to move and found the knots binding her to be expertly tied. Now, as the pressure on her body built, she began thrashing her limbs against her bonds. Her efforts quickly proved to be for naught. This approach would get her nowhere.

Her inability to untie bindings securing her in deadly situations was not at all unusual. Escape had never been that simple. While Batgirl might have conceded her critics’ charges related to her getting herself into such situations far too often might be warranted, she recognized the value of her perilous experiences. Her methods of escape depended upon the predicament in which she was placed. In the past, she had summoned aid, neutralized the trap, or managed to free herself with the help of the vast array of implements she carried in her utility belt.

Her enemies frequently removed her belt because the miracles she worked with the wonders surrounding her waist were well publicized. To thwart this too-common tactic, she had secreted a small arsenal of tiny tools in her gloves and boots.

On this occasion, she had all of her tools. The pressure the spinning top would generate, however, had the potential to crush her outstretched limbs and hold her body helplessly in place, as it was subsequently squashed to a pulp. Sudden horror struck Batgirl as she realized these morbid considerations would never matter to her.

Early astronauts had whirled about in giant centrifuges to see if the human body could withstand the tremendous acceleration of a launch into space. From the data obtained, it was learned such voyages were survivable. Scientists extrapolated, however, that too many g-forces would cause the heart to stop from the strain.

Batgirl knew, though, the experiments had shown, long before cardiac arrest, such forces pressing upon a subject would cause a person to lose consciousness. She had to escape before she passed out.

Batgirl closed her eyes to consider her predicament without the distraction of her surroundings blurring into a dizzying mirage of confusion. Her position rendered her incapable of reaching any of the amazing implements encircling her hips. She bent her wrists and felt the inexorable force of the spinning top draw her hands back to the surface to which she was bound. As long as the top spun, the tools in her gloves would remain unavailable.

She had to escape! There was a way! What was it? How could she discover it?

She released a controlled breath and realized she was beginning to feel lightheaded. This discomfort compounded her dizziness and her growing sense of nausea.

Suddenly, she came to another horrific realization. Jill and Josie’s caulking of the seam between the lid and base of the hollow top had sealed the chamber, making it airtight. Batgirl wondered whether the pressure being exerted upon her would crush her lungs before she suffocated.

Batgirl needed a new approach.

At times, she had used the nature of a trap to effect her escape. She knew the outside of the seam between the summit and lower part of the top had been sealed with caulk. The inside, however, might have an edge sharp enough to cut her wrists free. With her hands free, she might be able to reach a gadget she could use to escape. She turned one hand and ran her gloved fingers upward as far as she could. Then she changed direction and went as far down as she could reach. She knew her hand had explored the inside of the sealed seam, but the surface was perfectly smooth.

Had she been outside instead of inside the top, she might have grabbed hold of something that might have allowed her to somehow free herself from her ropes.

Of course, if she would have been bound to the outside of the top, its motion would have torn her body from its position. Besides, she was inside the top instead of outside.

Batgirl exhaled and felt her chest constrict as she took in some air.

Time was running out! The goal of her earlier struggles had been to free a single limb. These efforts had been unsuccessful, and she decided to try a more holistic approach. Batgirl wrenched both of her arms upward savagely and felt ropes restrain her almost instantly. She rested and tried again without success. She tried to lift both of her legs and felt their restraints hold just as tightly.

“He’s thought of everything,” Batgirl said, laboring to breathe as she bent all of her joints trying again to break the ropes. She relaxed again, thinking quickly as the top spun even faster. Pressure increased.

“Joker slipped up somewhere. Criminals always do. I just have to think through the trap and figure out where,” she explained to no one in particular. “I have also got to hurry. It’s getting hard to breathe. I’ll be unconscious soon.”

Seeking inspiration, Batgirl opened her eyes and tried to focus on her moving, blurry environment. To survive, she would have to concentrate. The deadly top sped on. Objects passed rapidly through her field of vision and she cataloged them quickly as she whirled. She processed these data with the speed of a supercomputer and remembered how the top had been isolated. The Joker had kept it away from the other contents of the room by elevating it on a pedestal.

Incorporating this fact into her calculations, Batgirl started reviewing her predicament again. She was bound inside the spinning top. The top spun in place on its pedestal. The Joker had pushed a button somewhere to start the top spinning. This fact indicated it was spinning of its own volition.

Batgirl recalled Barbara Gordon, as a little girl, playing for countless hours with her own toy top. She recalled watching delightedly as it moved, spinning across the floor, and toppling inevitably before coming to a stop. Then, she would pick up her toy and start it moving and spinning again.

Somehow, the Joker’s deadly top maintained a delicate balance upon its pedestal. That fact was the key!

The Joker had spread her body as much as the conical base of the top would allow. This fact indicated her weight was evenly distributed and that her position was designed to maintain the perfect balance of the top.

“Maybe I can tip it over and make it fall off of the pedestal!” she said as she resumed struggling.

She tried to swing her weight to one side of the top and thus tip it over. After awhile, she had to rest and became aware, as her body relaxed, of the incredible pressure the maddeningly spinning top was exerting upon her. Dizziness was also working against her as she struggled. In fact, that nauseating feeling almost distracted her from the palpable force crushing her.

Suddenly, she realized the motion of her swinging body was likely to rock the top from side to side rather than topple it in a single direction.

“I’ll never upset the top’s balance this way,” she said. As she spoke, she inhaled with immense difficulty. “If I could jump, I would direct force at a single point on a single side to the top. I can’t jump, though.”

Suddenly, she was inspired and gathered herself, crouching as low as she could. She drew her chin to her chest. Moving her head caused a tidal wave of sea sickness to wash over her as her inner ears were effected, but Batgirl persevered. With a herculean effort, she managed to shift her upper body slightly forwards. Then, using every ounce of force her body could muster, she launched herself backwards. Her shoulders and neck slammed into the side of the top behind her.

The top shuddered.

“Yes!” Batgirl cried delightedly. Her struggles had tightened knots binding her limbs, which had in turn provided a little additional slack Batgirl could take advantage of as she prepared her next backward push.

The top began to wobble in response to Batgirl’s shoulders hitting it. The speed of the top’s rotation, however, kept it upright and whirling.

“Come on!” Batgirl shouted desperately. She prepared herself for a third thrust and executed it without toppling her glass prison.

If this didn’t work, nothing would. Batgirl was keenly aware fighting crime was dangerous. She had consciously decided to pit her wits, beauty, and athleticism against Gotham City’s many faces of evil. She knew exactly what she was fighting and that the threats evil posed were serious. She had accepted and planned for the fact the battle could cost her life, but had thus far been able to avoid paying that cost. Yet, the Grim Reaper was always beckoning. She saw him again smiling at her, waiting patiently. They both knew her hobby tempted fate.

Exhausted, Batgirl felt her shoulders slam against into side of the top again. She mechanically began to prepare yet again for what she hoped would be a decisive thrust. A karate yell accompanied her next effort. As Batgirl’s bruised shoulders collided with the glass behind her, she felt the gigantic, deadly toy tip over and fall from its pedestal!

The sensation Batgirl felt as every scintilla of tension drained away from her body was unquestionably heavenly. So much so, that she was only peripherally aware of the cracks that formed in the top as it hit the floor. The spinning motion of the top sent it rolling away from the pedestal at a terrific speed.

Still entombed, Batgirl became too dizzy and disoriented to act as her rolling prison careened into a wall and shattered. She was only peripherally aware of her glass coffin disintegrating into tiny, razor-sharp shards as her head hit the wall hard. Black oblivion enveloped her.

The totally relaxed state of Batgirl’s muscles allowed her to hit the floor without injury. She lay motionless as shards of shattered glass rained over her. She was unmoving as the last of the debris settled on top of her like a glittering shroud.

“What an eventful night,” the Joker murmured with a sigh, wearily tossing his coat aside as he returned to the suite at the Ritz Marlton.

A light clicked on, bathing Vixen in a pool of light as she sat with her back against one side of the sofa. Her body made a small sound reaching for the light as she unlaced her fingers and turned, spreading her arms and lying on one hip. As her finders manipulated the knob on the lamp, she moved her other hand slowly along the line of her body and splayed her fingers against her upturned hip. Then, she let her head come to rest in the hand that had operated the lamp. “You’re up late, Joker,” she said, drawing his gaze to her as she lay there, looking lovely and silently inviting him to her side.

“So are you,” the Joker observed with a smile. He crossed the room and sat down in the corner of the couch where she made room for him.

“You’re glowing,” she remarked, absently letting her hand fall from the side of her head to his neck and resting her head on his shoulder. The Joker let himself smile as his eyes focused on her long, lovely legs and followed them upward to where her short, silk robe was loosely knotted.

“I’ve been celebrating Batgirl’s swan song. What are you doing up?”

Although Vixen was disappointed not to have been invited to witness Batgirl’s death, she was professional enough not to let it show. “I have news,” she said, leaning forward and holding him with her gaze.

“Oh?”

“I found Batman and Robin.” The Joker would have laughed enthusiastically if she had not put a restraining hand against his lips. “Hush! You’ll wake the others.”

The Joker chuckled and kissed her fingertips. “All right, my dear, where are they?”

“Well, “ Vixen began, “I hacked into all the hospital records and realized they had never been admitted.”

“Spare me the gory details, Vixen. I just want to know where they are so I can plan a delicious demise for them. I’ve done away with the Bat-women already. Can you imagine how the citizens of Gotham will react next year when they realize all of their precious protectors are gone forever?”

“Every criminal’s dream come true,” she said smiling. “Batman and Robin are being cared for at Star Labs. Not anyone could have figured that out for you! I did, though.”

“Thank you, my dear,” the Joker said slowly. “It seems you and I have something else to celebrate now.”

“And once you’ve dealt with them,” Vixen predicted, “we’ll have work to do and, subsequently, its success to celebrate.”

“You’re so right. Why don’t you turn that light off?”

“Well, if you insist,” she agreed, leaning closer to him and reaching past his ear. As darkness enveloped them, the Joker felt her body turn toward him as he reached for the sash of Vixen’s robe.

Much later, Batgirl let out a soft moan. Her entire body ached. A slight movement relieved the sensation for a split second, but the sound that accompanied the slight shift of her weight made her freeze instinctively.

Batgirl heard the unmistakable tinkle of broken glass.

She feared one false move could slice her body to ribbons and opened her eyes to asses her new predicament. She had heard about False-Face once leaving Batman and Robin trapped beneath a glass ceiling in the funhouse at the Flint Circus. The villain had arranged for them to be diced into driblets when the ceiling shattered. Batgirl’s situation was, however, different. She lay among the remains of the glass tomb in which the Joker had intended to kill her, and she seemed quite intact.

With any luck, her gloves, boots, and the costume that encased her from neck to toes would keep her that way. She carefully raised herself to her hands and knees. Broken glass spilled from her back without harming her.

“So far, so good,” she murmured, placing one foot on the clear spot where her chest had lain. More glass littered the floor. .She straightened and carefully removed the last few shards to have lodged in her costume. Then she jumped clear of the debris.

“We’ll be going a few more rounds before I’ve finished with you, Joker!” Batgirl said.

She looked at her watch and realized she would have little time to reach the Mayor’s breakfast if she wanted to prevent the Joker’s next crime. Batwoman and Flamebird would have even less, but they had transportation. She did not. The Batgirlcycle was still at the Ritz Marlton “There’s no time to search this place. I have to move.” She placed a call to the Distaff Duo and brought them up to date. She knew taxis would not be cruising among the deserted warehouses and abandoned factories of this run-down part of town near Derwin Alley in which she found herself. Nor was public transportation an option. To reach the hotel, she would have to run.

Batgirl found the streets predictably deserted, running through them in the predawn light. She had trained herself to run at a fairly good pace in her high-heeled boots. Batgirl knew she had nearly equivalent of a marathon to cover on her way to the scene of the impending crime. In Olympic condition, she had no doubt she could complete the run without difficulty. Her problem was time. At the rate she was going, she would reach the hotel hours too late. Having no choice, she pressed onward.

She passed a market, where workers were beginning to set up booths of produce and other fresh groceries, when she chanced to spot possible salvation. As unlikely as a chance encounter would be to provide transportation to the crime scene, the seemingly impossible had happened.

Alfred Pennyworth had emerged from a limousine parked beside the market and Batgirl had seen him.

“Alfred!” Batgirl called.

Bruce Wayne’s faithful butler turned toward the voice hailing him. “Oh my goodness! It’s Batgirl!”

The heroine slackened her pace and walked toward him. “Alfred, am I glad to see you?”

“Since you ask, I suppose you must be,” the butler surmised. He smiled at her.

“I need a ride to the Ritz Marlton in Midtown. The Joker is going to attack the Mayor’s breakfast!”

“The Joker you say!“ Alfred said, opening the rear door and gesturing for her to enter. “You’d better get in.” She obeyed and heard the door close behind her. Her breathing became more regular as the car began to move and Alfred lowered the partition between the front seat and the rest of the car. “My liking to get an early start shopping for Mr. Wayne has proven to be fortuitous, Miss.”

“I’ll say! Thank you for the timely lift.”

“Do you think you’ll be in time to stop the criminal’s plan?”

“I hope so. Without you, though, I’d never have had a chance.”

“Would it be helpful for me to wait for you somewhere?”

“That won’t be necessary. My Batgirlcycle is at the hotel. It was left there when I was taken away as Joker’s prisoner.”

Alfred shuddered. Then he continued, “If I may be so bold, I imagine the Joker made arrangements to eliminate you.”

“He did. His plans failed,” Batgirl explained simply.

“I cannot help wondering if the work you do is worth risking the dangers you face. I vividly recall how Madame Minerva tried to kill both of us in her Persimmon Pressurizer, how Clock King tried to suffocate us recently in that sealed, time-locked phone booth, and how the Penguin would have simmered Batman and Robin to death as the contents of human tea bags if you hadn’t intervened back when we first met.”

“The reward of keeping citizens like you and Mr. Wayne safe from criminals like the Joker, Minerva, Clock King, and the Penguin make the risks worthwhile, Alfred.”

“Of course, Miss. It feels good to be helping you once again.”

“I’m glad to have your help.”

“Oh, I’d better let you out. You’re only a couple blocks away. If I come much closer to the crime scene, I might risk giving away our little secret.”

“We wouldn’t want that to happen.,” Batgirl agreed. “Thank you again.” She stepped from the car and waved. “Thank you, citizen,” she said yet again for show as she ran off.

“Good luck, Miss,“ Alfred called after her. “Extraordinary! She’s as beautiful as she is capable. Yes. Quite extraordinary,” he said to himself once she was out of sight. He smiled, got into the car, and prepared to resume shopping.

As Batgirl neared, the Joker’s plans were well underway. Mayor Linseed was concluding his remarks when his microphone cut out and the guests’ attention became focused on another voice.

“Good morning, friends. It’s The Joker! Mayor Linseed was just about to introduce a number of public officials for whom none of you voted. Instead of meeting his appointees this morning, I suggest you all make generous donations to a most worthy charity.” The Joker paused to laugh. “Oh, I know you all wrote big checks to eat and hear the Mayor. I assure you, however, I am well aware that what you’ve given so far is a paltry sum compared to what you could give--what you will give.”

The Joker had entered the room and was making his way to the podium as he spoke into a cordless microphone. He laughed as Mayor Linseed began to object, “Joker! I don’t know what makes you think you can just barge in here and take over my charity event! Let me tell you--”

The Joker laughed as he put his arm around the Mayor. “Mr. Mayor,” he said, “I have come here today to show you exactly how to take over a charity event. Compared to your guests, it won’t even cost you that much.”

“What is that clown talking about?” someone demanded as the Clown Prince of Crime laughed, turning to face the mayor. The flower in the Joker’s buttonhole suddenly emitted a tiny plume of powder and the villain stepped aside to let Mayor Linseed fall to the stage with a thud. The Joker bowed.

“To answer your question, let me share a little secret. I know all of you have a lot more cash and valuables with you right now than the sum of your generous checks for that delicious breakfast.” The Joker laughed and smiled magnanimously as his audience stared. “Speaking of delicious, look at who will be gathering the goodies!” The Joker’s ornamental Christmas decorations filed into the room. All of them, even Undine, had dressed for the occasion. Josie and Jill stood on either side of their leader as the sextet of blondes posed on either side of them. Baby Jane’s gown was gray and the other blondes wore a gown of their respective, favorite colors. Jill had adopted a pink motif and Josie had selected orange as her color. Each gown gathered around the breasts as well as at the waist while billowing lower down. Each woman’s legs could occasionally be glimpsed through a vertical slit designed to accommodate movement. A seasonal red or green ribbon encircled each woman’s hips. Finally, Emerald gazed at the charity patrons through a pair of green lenses she held before her eyes with a stick. They bowed extravagantly. “Ladies, get their stuff!” the Joker ordered, indicating the audience.

Someone started to stand and shake a fist, shouting, “Now look here, Joker--”

“Oh, wait. I almost forgot.” He pulled a control from his pocket and pressed the button with an uproarious laugh.

Plumes of red and green smoke erupted from the centerpiece at every table. All of the mayor’s guests slumped in their chairs, except their spokesman who fell across the table. The Joker’s henchwomen began circulating among them, retrieving their money, jewelry, and other valuables a moment later. As they worked, the Joker spread cream cheese on a bagel and ate it. Once the women had finished, they moved to display the loot for the Joker. “Oh, look at the pretties, my pretties! We’d better be hurrying along. There’s no telling how soon some authority figure will be showing up to try arresting us!” he said with a chuckle.

Just then, two such figures, with lovely figures, arrived, bursting into the room. “Hold it right there, Joker!” Batwoman said. “As duly deputized officers of the law, we’re placing you under arrest!”

“That’s right! You’re going back to jail, where you belong!” Flamebird added.

“What sorcery is this?” the Joker asked. “Two fetching Bat phantoms have returned from the grave!”

“Not from the grave, Joker” Flamebird corrected.

“We got out of your cruel Christmas ribbons. So, you see, we’ll be having the last laugh at your expense!” Batwoman announced.

“I hardly think so, Batwoman and Flamebird,” the Joker replied with a laugh. “All right, girls, it’s time we got going, but first, get them!”

The Distaff Duo’s eight antagonists approached, arraying themselves for combat.

Jill and Josie glanced at one another and decided instantly to pay Flamebird back for knocking their heads together. They seemed to have telepathically agreed Flamebird had earned a severe beating and were charging toward her to deliver.

Flamebird waited and tried to hit each of them in the jaw. Both of Flamebird’s opponents were expecting her to reach for their faces and grabbed both of her wrists.

“Toss her over here!” Undine called. Jill and Josie spun their opponent toward their comrade and propelled her in Undine’s direction with a forceful shove. The white-clad henchwoman spun with a leg extended, intercepting the off-balance heroine stumbling toward her and slamming the good girl to the floor.

Batwoman, meanwhile, had taken two steps before leaping into the air and catching Emerald in the chin with a lightning-fast kick. Landing, she saw Vixen coming and dove to the floor and tumbled toward the curly-haired blonde. Vixen felt Batwoman’s leg sweep her legs from beneath her as the heroine’s other leg pulled the henchwoman’s upper body to the floor, where Vixen landed with a smack.

As Batwoman prepared to tumble to her feet, she was suddenly set upon by Queenie, Baby Jane, and Cornelia. The terrible trio tore at her hair; clawed her; slammed their elbows into her; and after a few moments, overwhelmed the seriously outnumbered heroine.

At the same time, Jill and Josie hurried to Flamebird’s fallen body. Once there, they took their revenge with accentuated viciousness.

Undine moved to Emerald’s unconscious body and began to work at reviving her. As the green-clad henchwoman returned to consciousness, she realized Gotham City’s Purple Paragon had arrived and was surveying the scene of the Distaff Duo’s defeat with hands on hips and legs spread to shoulder width. “Batgirl,” Emerald said.

Undine turned toward the new arrival and repeated, “Batgirl!”

The Joker had been munching bagels and lox while his ornamental Christmas decorations had subdued their first two adversaries. He swallowed and let his breakfast fall to the table as he stared at the Voluptuous Vigilante standing defiantly before him. “Batgirl,” he repeated again. “It’s witchcraft! She should have been spun deep into oblivion by now!”

“Before you left me to die, Joker, you told me one bad turn deserved another. My advice to you is to remember that what goes around, comes around. Once I’ve dispensed with your,” Batgirl began, pausing to clear her throat. Then she continued, “associates, I’m going to show you just how alive I am!” As Batgirl spoke, she stepped forward to begin the planned demolition of the Joker’s gang.

Her first target was Cornelia. The purple-clad henchwoman crouched and waited for Batgirl to launch an attack. She moved to block a kick as Batgirl raised a knee. The heroine turned her hip and slammed the ball of her foot into Cornelia’s chest. The blonde woman remained standing, but was dismayed when Batgirl pulled her leg back, lowered her foot a little, and slammed her foot into Cornelia’s abdomen. As the bad blonde doubled over, Batgirl changed feet and brought her heel down hard on the back of her opponent’s head. “Who's next?” Batgirl asked as she spun to face the other henchwomen and shot a foot backward to connect and send Cornelia’s bruised body careening back into the mirror in which the narcissist had been gazing before the fight.

While none of the henchwomen answered Batgirl’s question with words, Jill and Josie seemed to volunteer to face Batgirl’s fury by approaching together warily. The Dark Angel of Gotham City drew them closer by backing up a pace. Jill and Josie pressed their attack and suddenly saw Batgirl close the distance between them. Jill first felt a purple arm wrap around her neck and lift her by the chin.

At the same time, Josie felt Batgirl’s other arm duplicating the maneuver with her other arm. The Joker’s brunette assistants literally dropped out of the fight as Batgirl brought their heads together with a resounding crack.

Next, Queenie was in the unlucky position of being the object of Batgirl’s wrath. The Dark Knight Damsel took her time approaching the Joker’s long-time associate. Queenie glared at her and began to retreat warily. Batgirl smiled and took a longer pace.

Queenie raised her arms defensively, expecting one of the heroine’s showgirl kicks. Instead, Batgirl swept Queenie’s legs from beneath her and dropped to one knee beside the fallen henchwoman. Queenie felt gloved fingers grip her chin and thrust her head downward with titanic force and remained still.

Emerald charged at Batgirl before the heroine regained her feet. Hot breath on her neck made Batgirl fire her clenched fist upward. The blow connected as Batgirl’s knuckles arrived at a point parallel with the tip of Emerald’s nose.

Emerald cried out in dismay and pain, feeling a battle-honed elbow slam into her stomach. She doubled over. As the henchwoman collapsed on Batgirl’s back, the heroine straightened and dragged her arm downward. Simultaneously, Batgirl stood, slamming Emerald’s body hard onto Queenie’s prone form.

Undine dove at her and Batgirl dodged. “Not yet, Undine. You and I have things to settle,” Batgirl said.

Baby Jane retreated as Batgirl advanced on her. She felt a wall behind her and began to inch along sideways. Batgirl decided to let her sweat and followed her until she reached a corner. “Say goodnight, Baby Jane,” she said. “This time I’m going to get you.”

Baby Jane Towser raised her arms to protect her head and closed her eyes as Batgirl moved toward her slowly. Color drained from the frightened socialite’s face. Batgirl moved in and executed a combination that would knock the high-class henchwoman out quickly and minimize the pain she would suffer later.

The Joker surveyed the battle and washed the last bite of his last bagel down with coffee. Vixen was moaning, having been taken out by Batwoman earlier. Undine was regaining her feet following her ineffective dive at Batgirl. From what his beach babe had told him about her history with the heroine, the Joker imagined their fight would be quite vicious. On the positive side, the Distaff Duo had been thoroughly subdued. Even so, once Batgirl had finished with Undine, unless his beach babe was more successful than his other help, the heroine would come after him. Batgirl had implied the rough treatment she had given Cornelia would be tame compared with what she planned to do to him. He knew what he had to do. He gathered his loot and edged around the outskirts of the battle zone.

Meanwhile, the Purple Paragon was going toe to toe with the pale beauty in white. “Does it hurt, Undine?” Batgirl asked as a kick penetrated her enemy’s defenses.

“Why do you ask?” Undine inquired, blocking a punch and counterpunching.

“I want you to suffer a little before you’re arrested.” Batgirl turned and avoided the blow.

“That sounds vindictive,” Undine responded and raised her knee to snap a kick at Batgirl. The Angelic Avenger slid to one side and swept Undine’s leg from beneath her.

Instead of swooping in to take Undine out, Batgirl let her fists settle on her hips and looked down at her opponent. “I have every right to be vindictive, Undine. I remember vividly how you, Vixen, and Legs Parker hogtied me and left me to strangle when my muscles cramped. As I recall, you instigated that unpleasant episode.”

“I’m sorry it didn’t work out the way I’d planned. I can’t really believe your luck, either,” the blonde said.

“It wasn’t luck.”

Undine smiled. “Whatever. Is that the only thing?”

“As a matter of fact, no. The ice water paint job you gave me is another offense on my list.”

“Oh, that was fun,” Undine said, chuckling. “Since then, I think you’ve grown cold. I might even say frigid.”

“I’d hate for you to hold back,” Batgirl said.

“I won’t, believe me. Now, I suppose you’re going to fight me all the harder because of those little incidents?” Undine had been resting as they spoke and raised herself to the balls of her feet and fingertips.

“You got it.”

“Too bad, Batgirl. You see, you’re going to get it, just as soon as I’ve finished with you!” Undine sprang at Batgirl, starting their fight again.

Batgirl fended off a combination of blows and dumped the bad blonde on her butt. “You’d better get up and fight me, then,” the heroine said sweetly. Enraged, Undine got to her feet and bull-rushed Batgirl.

The Dark Angel of Gotham grabbed her opponent by the hair and flung her aside. “Why you little--” The rest of Undine’s response was lost as she collided with the floor and a wall.

The blonde charged Batgirl again when she regained her feet. “I’m going to--” Batgirl’s elbow hitting the center of Undine’s chest interrupted the revelation of the henchwoman’s plans.

Gotham’s Succulent Sentinel raised the back of a purple-gloved fist into Undine’s chin to follow up the elbow. Undine felt Batgirl’s arms wrap around her head before her body was snapped to the floor with a resounding smack. Batgirl straightened. “Get up!”

Undine moaned. The henchwoman had tried to goad Batgirl into fighting with emotion that would impair her self control. Her plan had backfired totally and Batgirl was smiling.

“I said, get up!” Batgirl repeated. Undine began to rise and was a second too slow to prevent the Dark Angel’s whirling leg from laying her out again. This time Batgirl knew she would stay down.

“Next, please,” Batgirl said, bending her legs and resting her hands on her knees.

“It’s up to you, Vixen!” the Joker said.

The curly haired call girl shook her head and advanced on Batgirl, sinking into a fighting crouch as she did. “Tired, Batgirl?”

“Let’s just say I’m warmed up.”

Vixen grinned. “Could this be our first fair fight ever?”

“Regardless, I’m expecting it to be your latest defeat.”

“Let’s go!” Each engaged the other with a fast moving series of combinations that brought neither a decisive advantage. Both knew they were evenly matched. Vixen, the younger woman, would win a drawn out battle, but neither combatant ever treated their confrontations like a sporting event.

Batgirl blocked a kick and gave Vixen’s leg a vicious twist. The blonde call girl sat down and sent Batgirl flying overhead. Batgirl landed and executed a judo roll to regain her feet and rejoin the fight.

As the women battled on, the Joker was moving among his fallen henchwomen to hasten their recovery. When he was certain they were moments from being ready to escape, he bent over Batwoman and Flamebird to administer a heavy dose of knockout powder from his flower.

Vixen was spinning toward Batgirl and aiming a kick at her abdomen. Batgirl blocked and seized the outstretched leg. Controlling her opponent thusly, the Dark Angel of Gotham raised her knee and hooked her heel into Vixen’s chest. As Vixen fell back, Batgirl twisted and sent the evil escort sprawling across the room. Vixen skidded across a table and hit the floor hard in the center of the debris from the table. Vixen did not get up again.

“Now, Joker! It’s your turn.” Batgirl spoke softly and approached him slowly, with the inexorability of doom.

“Not just yet, Batgirl,” the Joker said laughing. He took a plastic sphere from his coat pocket and twisted either side of it before tossing it to the carpet in front of her.

“It looks like your latest attack was a dud, Joker. Mine won’t be,” Batgirl said, striding briskly toward him, through the spilled contents of the Joker’s sphere She had been foolish to dismiss what had been inside. Individual tiny spheres, about the size of a ball bearing, had come tumbling out. Each rolled beneath her feet and made her lose her balance. She fell, crushing several, revealing they contained a sticky gel.

Batgirl tried to rise, but could not. She realized she couldn’t stand and began to thrash around fiercely. The sticky goop held her body in place on the carpeting. “What is this stuff?” she demanded.

The Joker settled his hands on his hips and threw back his head to laugh at her. “Those fragile globules, Batgirl,” he explained, “are filled with the substance I use to make my famous streamers sticky! Your body weight has released my secret formula and will hold you in place more than long enough for my ornamental Christmas decorations and I to get away!”

“You’ll never get away, Joker, not from me!” Batgirl declared. “I’ll be hunting you as soon as I free myself and I’ll keep coming until the job is done. Count on it!”

“I wouldn’t advise it,” the Joker warned. “When we leave here, our first stop will be Star Labs where I’ll conclude my plans for Batman and Robin. In fact, girls, bring Batwoman and Flamebird, too. We may as well get rid of them all at the same time! Come along, my dears. We’ve overstayed our welcome!”

“You’d be smarter to avoid attempted murder charges and start running, because I’m coming!” Batgirl warned in return.

The Joker laughed and picked up Vixen in his arms to lead his gang from the room. Josie and Jill picked up Flamebird and followed. Baby Jane and Emerald carried off Batwoman. Undine, Cornelia, and Queenie leaned on each other as they departed.

Batgirl was seated on the floor with many of the Joker’s sinister spheres surrounding her. The two halves of the hollow sphere which had held them also lay nearby. Batgirl first used a whisk broom from her utility belt to brush the globules of sticky goop away from herself.

“Batgirl, what happened?” Mayor Linseed asked.

“The Joker got away, sir. Before he left, he stuck me to the carpet. I’ll be free and after him in a moment.” As Batgirl spoke, she pulled an aerosol can from her belt and sprayed down her lower body. After a moment, she stood.

“It was lucky you had that spray,” Mayor Linseed remarked as Batgirl used it to neutralize the rest of the spot in which she had been sitting.

“It wasn’t luck, sir. Last year I was trapped in Joker’s sticky streamers. As a joke, that unfunny clown sent his men after me. They got stuck, too. Joker then set his lady on us with a can of this stuff to get us out. I found more when I searched the hideout later. Since I knew I was after Joker, I thought having some of the spray would be a good idea.”

“Don’t aerosol cans harm the environment?”

“Sadly, they do. Unfortunately, the cans are the best way to deliver the antidote to Joker’s sticky goo globules.” As she spoke, Batgirl was sweeping up the unbroken globules from the carpeted floor. “I’m sorry I can’t stay, sir. Joker has Batwoman and Flamebird in his power and is going after Batman and Robin. He plans to kill them all. I don’t have a moment to lose.

“Of course, Batgirl. Good luck.”

The Purple Paragon hurried away to speed off on her Batgirlcycle.

Shortly thereafter, the Joker and his ornamental Christmas decorations, who had returned to their respective usual appearances, arrived at Star Labs in a purple van. The Jolly Jester had opted to use the vehicle since he could fit his entire evil entourage inside. He had used his convertible in two nights of crime earlier that week and the van was better for transporting prisoners. “I think we’ll use a more subtle approach here,” the Joker said, laughing. “I have a number of useful items beneath the floor of the van.”

He uncovered a hidden compartment and bowed with a gleeful laugh as he revealed a dozen gas masks and an equal number of knockout gas canisters the size of fire extinguishers.

“How come we haven’t used these yet, boss?” Baby Jane asked.

“We haven’t needed them until now,” the Joker explained. He took the socialite in his arms and spun her around. “Come! Let’s suit up and get our prisoners inside!”

Once they were all ready, the Joker led them to a side door he opened with ease. They descended a staircase and entered the boiler room. “Someone will be along to investigate our entrance very soon. Vixen and Undine, take care of them when they arrive. We’ll use Batwoman and Flamebird to get their attention. Meanwhile, the rest of you start venting the knockout gas through the building. Once the staff is out cold, we should take over the whole place with minimal effort!” As his marvelous-looking minions moved to obey him, the Joker chuckled gleefully.

The gas had just begun to be vented throughout the building when the expected guards arrived . They felt their weapons seized at the foot of the stairs. Together, Vixen and Undine yanked the hapless men forward and slammed elbows into their noses. The stunned guards did not resist as their endowed enemies hurled them to the floor and set upon them with vicious enthusiasm. Moments later, Vixen and Undine finished them off by slamming their heads into the floor.

The women straightened. “That felt marvelous,” Vixen said, grinning.

“Nice work,” Undine complimented.

“They won’t be needing these,” Emerald remarked, approaching the guards with a single sexy stride and retrieving their guns. She cast a baleful glance at the still-unconscious prisoners. “I think we can find some worthy targets for these, however.”

“No, Emerald.” the Joker said, taking the weapons from her and putting them in his jacket pockets with a laugh. “Star Labs contains much more interesting ways to do away with them. As we wait for the gas to disperse, why don’t you all consider some methods we could use.”

Jill knew the Joker could be bloodthirsty. His offhand suggestion was hardly the first indication she had been given. Indeed, the choking ribbons in which he had left the Distaff Duo entwined and the glass tomb in which she and Josie had sealed Batgirl were both more than adequate proof of the proposition.

On the other hand, they were talking about Batwoman and Flamebird. Jill had already heard the Joker explain his reasons for doing away with Gotham City's guardians twice. Jill rubbed her head where it had impacted Josie's and decided Flamebird deserved whatever she got for originally causing the injury. The henchwoman refused to be distracted by details like Batgirl having exacerbated the injury in exactly the same way subsequently. Jill had, after all, come a long way from the time she had nearly broken down in tears when it appeared the Joker had smoked the Dynamic Duo from existence in the chimney at the Katz, Katz, and Katz refinery.

After the celebration of Batgirl's demise, Jill knew the Joker still really liked her. The fact that the festivities had been premature aside, the Joker had promised her so many lovely and expensive things every greedy bone in her body had quivered with excitement. In fact, she almost wondered how the Joker planned to keep his word. Of course, once the heroes were out of their way forever, keeping that promise would be child's play for him. She resolved to come up with the coldest way of doing away with the Distaff Duo imaginable. She, after all, didn't care.

"How about a bath in liquid nitrogen for Flamebird?" Jill suggested as a wide grin illuminated her pretty face. The Joker wasn't really going to use her suggestion, just like she and her troupe of gunwomen had not really planned to gun Batgirl down at the Iceberg Lounge. Really, shooting her down would have been horrible, of course. The Joker always had much more unusual ways of eliminating his enemies. Morbidly, Jill wondered what the others would concoct.

“Chilly. What about burying both of them in dry ice?” offered Josie.

“Either of those ideas would cool them down. Maybe we could use them as a target for a laser,” Queenie said.

Baby Jane made a face. “They’d be a bloody mess after that,” she objected.

“Not really,” Emerald disagreed. “The laser would cauterize the incision as it was cut. I think we should launch all of them into orbit.”

“With what?” Undine asked.

“We used a rocket when we tried that with Batgirl.”

“I’m sure they have a store of interesting chemicals,” Undine remarked. “With a little creativity, there’s no telling how many ways we could make our enemies die. I’ll bet we could find a different approach for each one.”

“Hoo, ha, ha, ha!” The Joker laughed delightedly in response to all the women’s satanic suggestions.

“Joker, all the gas has been released,” Vixen reported. “Whatever you want to do to them, we can get started.”

“Good. We’ll subdue and secure the remaining staff as we go. Once we find Batman and Robin, we can make their final arrangements!”

“Let’s start here, Jill,” Josie suggested, stepping to one of the fallen guards.

“Practice makes perfect,” Jill agreed, moving to the other. Together the henchwomen lifted their victims and slammed their heads together with a resounding crack. “Yes!” Jill enthused raising a hand.

“Nice to see that happen to someone else,” Josie said, slapping her partner’s hand once they had bound the guards with their shoelaces and ties. “Let’s go.” She let her guard fall and led the way up the stairs.

“Vixen,” the Joker said as he began to follow, “You never made a suggestion for doing away with our enemies.”

“I know you have your own plans for them, Joker,” she said smiling. “If you press me though, I’d love to see some arrangements that left them all to blow up together.”

The Joker winked at his luscious lieutenant. “We’ll see, we’ll see.”

The criminals toured the facility quickly, mercilessly subduing and securing anyone they encountered. Then they arrived at the isolation wards, where biological research was conducted.

“I found them!” Baby Jane announced as she presented a clipboard for the Joker’s inspection.

“There they are!” Joker said, jabbing his finger at the clipboard joyfully and laughing. “Hey! I’ll bet they’re already lying in medical trolleys we can strap them to. I know you’d like to wheel our other prisoners around instead of carrying them. To be honest, I’m feeling a little burdened with them myself.”

“You’ll soon fix that, Joker,” Undine said encouragingly. “Let’s get the heroes restrained so we can figure out how to kill them.” The Joker responded to her suggestion with a dismissive gesture and an encouraging laugh.

Vixen and Emerald led the way to the room in which Batman and Robin were being treated. “It looks like they’ve almost fully recovered,” Cornelia said.

“Rather a pity their recovery will have been a waste of time,” Queenie remarked with a chuckle.

“Be quiet,” Jill said. “They’re asleep.”

“Let’s get busy,” Vixen suggested.

Presently, each member of the heroic quartet was securely strapped to a wheeled medical bed.

“So, are you going to take care of each of them separately or all together?” Cornelia asked. She had been unable to find a mirror in which to admire herself and had thus taken a keen interest in the criminal proceedings.

“I think we’ll pair them off!” the Joker remarked with a laugh.

“So, how do you plan to eliminate the Dynamic Duo?” Queenie asked.

“Oh, I’ve a much more interesting pairing in mind!” the Joker announced with an evil chuckle. “What would you say to pairing the bats and the birds?”

“Delicious,” Jill gushed.

Listening to her own comment, Jill realized her morbid curiosity had returned. Suddenly, she had to know the Joker's plans for his prisoners, even though a part of her worried how she would react. These revelations were not always pleasant. If she were to be honest, she would have to admit they were never pleasant.

It was much easier being just one of the girls when she didn't dwell on the details of things like murder. These details didn't matter, or shouldn't. The Joker would attend to them and when the victim had been finished off, they would have another celebration. What could be simpler?

“I think so, too!” the Joker enthused. “Wheel the bats to the quarantine area. There are a few things we’ll need to pick up along the way.” The Joker stood laughing uproariously as his assistants obeyed. They also brought a third bed, on which to wheel the sinister supplies.

Batwoman revived to find she and Batman suspended from overhead nozzles by their ankles. Only a minimum of squirming was required to demonstrate her wrists had been bound behind her back before the ends of her bonds had been threaded through her legs and slip knotted around her thighs. She glanced at her companion and realized he had been bound in exactly the same way.

Batwoman’s thoughts immediately turned to Flamebird. Her niece was nowhere to be seen. Unbidden, the memory of the Scarecrow’s revelation of Batwoman’s greatest fear came to mind. Batwoman had imagined the Joker permanently injuring her young charge. The incident had revealed that, subconsciously, Batwoman considered the Joker to be Gotham City’s most fearsome arch criminal.

The implications of the scene unfolding before Batwoman and Batman were not lost on either hero. Undine and Vixen were balancing a lead tank atop an enclosure which contained a large glass tub. Emerald and Queenie were dumping powder into a drum with a chute extending toward the tub. Both heroes recognized the chemical symbols of the substances the Joker’s henchwomen were preparing. The heroes stared grimly at one another.

“I see you’ve divined your fate, my dear bats,” the Joker observed with a maniacal cackle.

“Very creative, Joker,” Batwoman remarked, fighting her bonds vainly.

“Why, thank you, dear lady. Funny, aren’t I?”

“Not particularly.”

“You and Batman aren’t much fun either. I expect that to change, very soon,” the Joker predicted, laughing. “How’s it coming, girls?”

“We’ll be ready to kick things off as soon as we’ve connected the hoses,” Emerald reported.

“Go right ahead,” the green-haired villain invited. He laughed uproariously as Emerald and Queenie took the free ends of a hoses extending from behind the nozzles Batman and Batwoman had been suspended from and inserted them into apertures on the sides of the enclosure surrounding the tub. The henchwomen twisted the connections, locking them into place. Each stepped back to admire her handiwork.

“Perfect,” Undine observed with a wicked grin.

“We can eliminate them whenever you say, Joker,” Vixen offered, grinning.

“Yeah,” Queenie agreed. “When we do, it will be a gas.”

“A lethal gas,” Emerald confirmed.

“Fluorine, to be precise,” Batman observed.

Joker laughed and smiled at his inverted enemy. “Very good, Batman. You always were quick-witted.”

“I didn’t think asphyxiation was your style, Joker,” Batwoman remarked.

“Oh, there’s a little more to it, Batwoman. The powder in the drum is a combination of fluosilicates and silicofluorides, or basic salts containing the fluorine Batman so alertly noticed. Mix them up, Queenie!”

“Whatever you say, Joker,” she agreed, activating the drum. It began to rotate and slowly shake its contents together, combining them.

The Joker chuckled for a moment and continued, “In just a few moments, I’ll start those salts spilling into the tub, where they will be combined with the hydrofluoric acid in the tank. As the chemicals react, the acid and the base salts will be broken down into their component elements. Sodium and potassium will remain in the tub, while hydrogen and fluorine will be released as gasses. Once these gasses exert enough pressure on the interior of the chamber, the hoses will pipe it to the nozzles, which will expose the two of you to the fluorine. Open the nozzles a little.” Undine and Queenie rotated the nozzles ever so slightly.

“There,” Undine said. “Just enough.” Her hands settled on her hips as she grinned wickedly at their intended victims.

“That should to it. Breath enough of that and you’re dead,” Queenie remarked, flashing a smile at her boss. The Joker responded with a wink and a laugh.

“Oh, it’s much worse then that, Queenie,” the Joker announced, continuing to laugh. “Fluorine gas is corrosive as well as poisonously noxious! The hydrofluoric acid we are employing is used commercially to etch designs in glass. Once the gas is released, the fluorine will begin dissolving these bats’ flesh and muscle. Unless it is vented, their well-bleached bones will ultimately be reduced to dust!”

“You won’t get away with this, Joker.”

“I believe you may be right, Batman.” Joker stopped laughing and continued, ”I forgot to have your miraculous belts removed. Ladies, if you would be so unkind.”

Vixen and Emerald unbuckled the heroes’ utility belts and let them fall unceremoniously to the floor where they and Batwoman’s Bat Kit would remain, tantalizingly out of reach.

“Delicious,” Joker enthused. “You bats are suspended upside down, the way bats sleep, about to be sent to a rest from which you will never awaken! Even as you wait to suffocate and dissolve, your positions alone are quite dangerous. Your circulation has already been effected, withholding blood from your extremities. The forced immobility could lead to an aneurysm in your brains. Of course, you won’t be hanging around long enough for that fate to befall you. I would, however, advise being on guard against sudden movement. In your position, it could prove fatal!"

“So, our bat-like position is the joke,” Batwoman said darkly.

“Precisely, Batwoman: Now that you understand, we’d better get on with the unfunny business of your disposal. Meanwhile, I have your bird-brained partners’ feathers to pluck and my assistants have an ambush to prepare. Oh, I’m afraid there isn’t going to be a heroic rescue. I have plans for Batgirl as well, once she arrives. Let’s get going, girls!” The Joker moved to the door and paused. “Oh, how careless of me! I almost forgot to start the chemical reaction!” the Joker said, laughing. “Do it!”

The Joker’s henchwomen nodded and started the combined salts and acid spilling into the enclosed glass tub. They waved at their victims and followed the Joker to the door. Together they all stepped from the room.

Just before the door closed, the villain leaned his head back into the room and said, “Don’t worry about the innocent employees of this complex sharing your fate. I’ve been assured this door shuts very, very tightly. Bye bye.” His laughter echoed around them as the door shut with a resounding click.

Robin and Flamebird recovered soon thereafter. They found themselves bound together in a clear tube.

“What’s going on?” Flamebird asked.

An uproarious burst of maniacal laughter began to answer her question. “Well, my little birdies, we’re about to prepare both of you for a delicious defrosting. First, of course, you’ll both need to cool down considerably. To that end, I’ve placed you both in one of Star Labs’ cryogenic freezing tubes!”

“Joker!” Flamebird said.

“Holy TV Dinner!” Robin commented.

Both heroes realized their position would work against the Joker’s plan. They had been bound face to face. Their lower bodies had been offset so one hero’s leg passed through both of the other’s. Flamebird’s arms encircled Robin’s neck with her wrists bound together behind him. The Teen Thunderbolt found himself holding his companion with his wrists bound behind her waist.

“You two look so cute,” Cornelia told the captives.

“How cute do they look?” Baby Jane asked. Cornelia made a face.

"Even if we don't get around to the defrosting, they'll be very well preserved," Jill remarked. She grinned as she regarded Robin. He had been an annoying kid when she had first encountered him years ago. Since then, he had matured and things had changed. Part of her was a little jealous of Flamebird, but when she considered the Joker's plans for the begoggled girl, that feeling soon faded.

“Are we ready to get started, Joker?” Josie asked, jumping up and down happily.

“Very nearly, Josie. Once we seal their tube, there will be nothing they can do but lie there and suffer while the temperature around them is lowered ever so slowly."

"I'm surprised at you, Joker," Robin declared. "This is more of a Mr. Freeze set-up than one of your gags."

The Joker look hurt. "Since Dr. Shivel has, for the moment at least, reformed, I consider a cold-induced death fair game!" the Joker retorted.

Jill looked at Robin and Flamebird thoughtfully. As far as she was concerned, the death the Joker had devised was too good for Flamebird, but she could think of a few uses for Robin.

What was wrong with her?

The others regarded Robin the way she was regarding Flamebird. She couldn't say anything. She was one of the girls, one of the Joker's girls. Their relationship meant whatever the Clown Prince of Crime had planned for his enemies was fine with her.

"Can't we just drop the tube to freezing temperature, Joker?" she asked.

The Joker laughed and wrapped an arm around her, giving her a delighted squeeze. “We could, Jill, but, the idea behind cryogenics is to preserve the subjects so they can later be revived. A sudden drop in temperature would cause tissue damage.”

“We’re talking about freezing Robin and Flamebird,” Cornelia pointed out. “Who cares?”

“I care, Cornelia!” the Joker revealed. “I have the chance to make my enemies suffer excruciating agony for several hours. You wouldn’t want me to pass up a chance like that, would you?”

“You’re torturing them?” Baby Jane asked, concerned.

“Let me explain,” the Joker said, releasing Jill and putting his arms around Baby Jane. “Very slowly, the temperature inside the tube will be lowered. As the degrees drop off, their bodies will begin to adapt to their environment. Blood flow will slow and their extremities will begin to freeze. This process will spread from their fingers and toes to their hands and feet moving inch by inch up their arms and legs. The rest of their bodies will take much longer to be effected. The head is the body’s greatest avenue for heat loss--”

“Especially in your case, Joker!” Flamebird remarked.

“It’s the hot air you spew in situations like this,” Robin agreed.

“Anyway, the body core is located within the torso, low down by the abdomen. Before the process is complete, each of their core body temperatures will have been lowered to zero and they’ll freeze solid. Long after we’ve all happily retired from crime, a scientist will figure out how to bring them back.”

“Won’t someone have to find them to do that?” Jill asked.

“That’s right,” Baby Jane said. “We’ve incapacitated the entire staff.”

“We’ll be long gone before they’ve frozen solid,” Cornelia said. “I suppose the process will just continue after that.”

“So, they’ll freeze solid and just go on getting colder and colder?” Josie asked.

The Joker lit up as he was struck by a revelation. He laughed. “No, Josie. I’ve just realized what will eventually happen!”

“What?” the women demanded simultaneously.

“Their solidified bodies will be made colder and colder, as Josie suggests, but all of that will end when they shatter into frozen Bat-bird-nuggets!” Joker explained. He laughed until all of his associates joined in. “Isn’t that delicious?”

“Your plan will fail, Joker!” Robin told the villain.

“Batman, Batwoman, and Batgirl will stop you!” Flamebird predicted.

“Oh, I’ve already dealt with them or taken steps to do so.”

Baby Jane was staring at the prisoners with undisguised horror.

Jill fought off a twinge of sympathy. Part of her agreed with the socialite. She had brought up the possibility of the birds' bodies being found. Perhaps she could support Baby Jane without diminishing the regard in which the Joker and the others held her. "Joker, isn't close body contact a method of combating hypothermia?" Jill asked.

“It is. All that means for our birdies is the process will take longer than it otherwise would.”

“Joker!” Robin yelled.

The Joker turned to face his long-time foe. “Yes, Boy Blunder?”

“Do whatever you want to me, but let Flamebird go.”

“Robin!” Flamebird objected.

“She’s never done anything to you.” Robin concluded.

The Joker pretended to consider the Teen Wonder’s plea. “Sorry, ‘old chum,’ but I’m already doing whatever I want to you! Besides, I get the distinct impression, if I let her go, your young girlfriend would make it her life's work to avenge your and Batwoman's deaths. She'd probably team up with Batgirl, who is already very angry with me."

"Imagine that!" Flamebird said sarcastically. "Now, why, do you suppose?

The Joker continued, "Rather than being hounded by both of them, I can eliminate the problem your pretty companion poses right now and her potential partner in a little while."

“Is it time to seal them in?” Josie asked anxiously.

“I believe it is,” the Joker said, feigning surprise. He looked around theatrically and noticed Baby Jane standing rigidly, staring at their doomed prisoners. He decided to do something about her. “Who will close the tube? How about you, Baby Jane?” he asked.

“I don’t know about this, Joker,” the shapely socialite said.

“Oh, it’s easy. Just pull this lever back. Afterward, everything will happen quite automatically.” As the Joker spoke, he took Baby Jane’s hand and guided it to the switch. “There, Baby Jane. Now, just pull it back and send our mortal enemies to oblivion!”

“They’re just kids,” Baby Jane whispered to herself.

The Joker had turned from the sidekicks’ executioner and was treating the others to a gleeful guffaw. He turned back to the victims and saw Baby Jane had not moved. The Joker frowned and drew her backward. Involuntarily, Baby Jane felt her fingers curl around the switch and draw it back as the Joker pulled her closer to him. Her eyes widened as the tube began to slowly slide shut. The Joker was laughing maniacally and hugging Baby Jane as her hand fell from the switch.

“You’ll never succeed, Joker,” Robin said.

“We’ll have the last laugh. You’ll see!” Flamebird agreed.

“Don’t lose your cool, you two!” he cried happily. He was all smiles as the tube clicked shut. “All right, ladies. Four down and one to go. Let’s go check on the ambush for Batgirl.”

“Joker, look!” Josie said, pointing at the tube excitedly. “It’s starting to frost over already.”

They watched, transfixed as a chilly coating of frost slowly covered the entire interior of the tube, starting at the bottom and working its way up.

Jill thought the Joker had been awful to Baby Jane, but it would have been worse if he had made her start the contraption. It was much better when he attended to the murderous details himself. Now, the deed was done and good riddance. She glanced balefully at Josie, who seemed to relish the idea of watching the process to its horrid conclusion. Jill definitely didn't. She was a little surprised Cornelia was still hanging around.

Perhaps the purple-clad blonde had also promised herself she would not let her trepidation about the Joker's murderous arrangements get to her--no matter what!

Still, despite her promise, Jill realized she had to get out of there. "It seems to be working," she observed. "I don't think the rest of the show will be all that exciting."

"Right you are, Jill. Let's go!" the Joker replied.

'Thank you,' Jill said to herself and led the way from the chamber.

Baby Jane was staring at the tube and hung her head at the Joker’s summons. He noticed her distress and was beside her. “It had to be done, Baby Jane. Surely, you can see that. They would have thrown us in jail and prevented us from doing all the worthwhile charity work I have planned. You wouldn’t want to abandon all our plans at this stage?”

“I suppose not, Joker.”

“Good girl. It’s almost over.”

“So, how soon will they be shattered frozen Bat-birdie-nuggets?”

“I’d guess never. One of the scientists will pull them out, once the staff retains control of their facilities. The delightful picture I painted assumed none of the scientists intervened to preserve the bodies. They will, of course. It’s their job.”

“You’re sure, Joker?”

“Of course I am.”

“Then why are we freezing them if these scientists will just save them?”

“It’s never been done before. Think of what you did as instigating a breakthrough in medical science!”

“Gosh, Joker, when you put it like that--”

The white-faced villain grinned at her. “Shall we go?” Baby Jane nodded and the Joker led her from the room with his arm around her waist.

The entwined shapes inside the tube were lying very still.

“How did you do that?” she asked.

“I was conscious while they hung me up here. As they worked, I inhaled and hardened my muscles. Once Joker left, I could relax and give myself some slack with which to work,” Batman explained.

“I would have thought you had been effected when Joker gassed everyone in the labs.”

“So did the Joker. I saw the vented gas move a curtain that had remained utterly stationary for hours. That slight movement prompted me to use my Batgasmask to guard against the effects of the fumes. When I went to help Robin, he had already been rendered unconscious.”

“Lucky for us you are so observant.”

“Perhaps,” Batman said, glancing at the chemical reaction proceeding in its enclosure. Batman realized they would have to hurry to free themselves before the gas was released. “I have to reach my utility belt. Can you reach your nozzle with your feet?”

“I can try,” Batwoman replied. She changed the focus of her struggles and maneuvered her feet upward to grip the nozzle. “Yes! I’ve got it,” she said. She began rotating her lower body to seal the nozzle above her.

Batman realized the reason his belt had been out of reach was the position in which the Joker had left his hands, bound behind him at the waist. Once his hands were free, he stretched downward slowly and drew his belt to him, buckling it into place around his waist.

“I think my nozzle is closed, Batman.”

“Good work. Now, we’ll see if I was quick enough.” As he spoke, the Caped Crusader slashed the bindings which secured his feet. He gripped the nozzle and lowered his legs to the floor. He stood for a moment sealing his nozzle. “Alright,” the free hero said, “now to get you down so we can get out of here.” Seconds later, Batman was supporting Batwoman as her sliced bonds hit the floor.

Batman put the blade away at his hip while Batwoman buckled her utility belt around her waist. “Time to shut this chemical reaction down so we can get after Joker,” she said. Together the heroes stepped to the fiendish contraption and shut off the acid and basic salts.

Before she turned away, Batwoman shuddered as she realized the diameter of the hoses connecting the sealed chamber and the nozzles had increased.

Batman had moved to the door of the room and knelt beside it with a set of tools. “I can open this door, but it will take time,” he said.

“Do you have any idea what that maniac is doing to Robin and Flamebird?”

“No. Once we get out, we’ll have to hurry,” Batman said. He was already working.

“It’s gotten so cold,“ Flamebird said, shivering and pressing herself instinctively against Robin for warmth.

“Unless we get out of here, it’s only going to get worse.” A jet of frigid air had activated seconds after the tube had closed around them. The clear walls surrounding the young heroes had been encrusted with frost a moment later. Since then, the tube’s interior had grown relentlessly colder.

“You get out of situations like this all the time, don’t you?” Flamebird asked. “What should we do?”

“Holy Boy Scouts,” Robin said dejectedly. “What a time to be without my Super-Thermalized Batskivies!”

“Robin, this is no time to discuss underwear! In different circumstances maybe, but--”

“You misunderstand, Flamebird,” the Teen Thunderbolt protested. “When facing Mr. Freeze, Batman and I had to be able to withstand temperatures of fifty degrees below zero. Our Super Thermalized Batskivies made his famous freeze gun useless against us. The only thing is, I didn’t expect to need them against the Joker.”

“We’ll need to figure something else out.”

Robin began to drum his fingers absently as he often did when turning over a difficult problem in his mind.

“What are you doing?” Flamebird demanded.

“Oh, sorry. I was thinking.” With his hands bound behind Flamebird’s waist, he realized what his fingertips had been tapping. Suddenly, it occurred to him that one of his fingertips had tapped a surface different than that the rest had encountering. The reason for this anomaly was important. He was able to reach Flamebird’s utility belt.

“Do you have something we can use in your belt?” Robin asked.

“Maybe. How far can you reach to the right?”

“I’ll see,” he answered, stretching.

“Okay, what about the left?

Robin reached as far as he could in the other direction. “Any ideas?”

“I’m afraid you’ll have to rotate the belt,” she said. “Carefully!”

“I’ll do my best,” he said. He gripped the belt and pulled it toward him gently before getting a fresh grip and repeating the procedure.

“Stop,” Flamebird ordered. “You should be able to reach a small knife.”

Robin opened a compartment on her belt and extracted the blade. “I’ve got it.”

“You’ll have to fold out the blade.”

“Okay. I’ll have our hands free in a second.” He was as good as his word. “Now to open this tube. Can you see the locking mechanism?”

“It’s at the top of the tube somewhere,” she said, staring past his head. She leaned even closer to him and moved her hands to the mechanism to brush frost away from it. “Let me see. This is bad, Robin. I think it’s frozen solid.” She relaxed and let out a deep breath as her body retreated from him and began to shiver more intensely.

“I may have something we can use to defrost it,” Robin said. “My Bat-blowtorch is in my utility belt. I don’t know if I can get to it in these close quarters.”

“Lean in towards me.”

Robin obeyed and felt her hands slide along the length of his back and her fingers begin exploring his belt. “To your right,” Robin directed.. “There it is.”

“Got it.” Flamebird’s hands slid upward along Robin’s back and turned the device to project its flame at the mechanism. “What setting should I use?”

“Let’s start with the lowest one. We want to defrost the lock, not destroy it.”

“Right. Here we go,” Flamebird said. The young heroes watched as Flamebird moved the tiny tongue of flame over the lock. The cold made her hands quiver as the little flame did its delicate work. With agonizing slowness, the lock became visible. “Okay. We’ve got to get that lock open before it freezes again.”

“Do you have lock picking tools in your belt?”

Flamebird directed his hands until Robin retrieved her tiny tools and reached his hands into the vicinity of hers. They exchanged the lock picks for the Bat-blowtorch and Flamebird went to work on the lock.

“I’ve almost got it,” she reported after a moment. “There!” Flamebird was all smiles as an audible click released the lock and enabled the tube to slide downward, releasing the captives. Robin began to climb from the tube and felt himself restrained by Flamebird’s arms.

As he turned to question her, she leaned her head toward him, pressed her mouth against his, kissing him. As Robin felt himself respond instinctively, he recalled Batman explaining how kissing was one of the most natural things in the world one could do. “Thank you for saving my life, Robin. I owe you one.”

“We don’t keep score, Flamebird. For the record, though, I couldn’t have done it without you.” The two exchanged a long look. Then Robin remembered his manners. “Anyway, you’re welcome. Ready to go get the Joker?”

Flamebird sighed. “I suppose we should. Shouldn’t we?”

Robin nodded and climbed from the tube. He reached for Flamebird’s hand and helped her until she was standing beside him. “It’s much warmer out here,” she remarked. She took a step to lead the way from the room and her balance faltered.

Robin caught her and stepped close to support her weight.. “Are you alright?”

“I will be after a moment,” she said, favoring him with a smile, “if you hold me.”

Elsewhere, Batgirl slipped quietly into Star Labs. She glanced around the room, finding nothing amiss and crept into the next room. Again, everything looked normal. Batgirl moved on. The Joker and his gorgeous gang were somewhere nearby. Their presence threatened Batman and the other heroes. She had to locate everyone quickly.

Unknown to her, however, Vixen; Undine; Emerald; and Queenie were waiting for her, watching from positions closer than the Dominoed Daredoll imagined.

“Now!” Vixen shouted suddenly.

A footfall heralded Undine’s coming as she stepped behind Batgirl. She was about to cut the Purple Paragon’s legs from beneath Batgirl when a gloved fist impacted her jaw. As she sprawled along the polished floor, she saw Batgirl had turned and launched the blow from the hip. Angrily, Undine began to rise.

Emerald and Queenie had begun to move toward their intended victim from either side. Batgirl sensed the attack coming before it was really visible and ducked her head seconds before a fist whipped past her chin and clobbered Queenie. Batgirl turned, apparently to follow up on the blow and finish Queenie off, but suddenly shot her leg back at Emerald and doubled the green-clad girl over with a gut shot. Then Batgirl was spinning in the air and whacked Emerald in the side of the head with her foot.

When Batgirl landed, Vixen straightened her opponent with an uppercut. “Does that feel good, Batgirl? You’d better got used to it. I’ve been looking forward to smacking you around again for a long time.”

“You know, Vixen,” Batgirl said, “I’ve been thinking the exact same thing!”

“I think my scenario is more likely. You’re outnumbered. Once you’ve tired, you’ve had it.”

“I’ll just have to pace myself,” Batgirl replied. “There are only four of you.”

“Wrong again, Batgirl!" the Joker called as he led the rest of his gang into the room. “All right, girls, as soon as you lay out Batgirl, we’ll slice her in half with Star Labs’ laser cutter. First, however, dismantle her!”

“Aren’t you forgetting someone, Joker?” Batwoman asked. She swung into a position beside Batgirl, sending the now-recovered Queenie flying before she landed.

“No!” the Joker said, dismayed. “You should have dissolved by now! If you escaped, that means Batman is--"

“Right here, Joker!” the Dark Knight said, toppling Undine by pulling a mat from beneath her feet.

“Well, Batman, your escape will not do Robin or Flamebird any good! I’ve frozen the little birdies for next year's Christmas dinner!”

“You fiend!” Batman said.

“Wrong again, Joker!” Robin said as he and Flamebird stepped into view.

“By all that's funny! More apparitions!”

“We’re both very much alive!” Flamebird announced, stepping forward and mashing Cornelia with two side-shattering blows.

“Get them, everyone!” the Joker shouted. “Get them!” As his marvelous-looking minions rallied at the sound of his voice, the Joker darted through an open door and began to push it shut behind him.

Quickly, Batgirl made a decision and shoved the curly-haired call girl toward Robin, who extended a leg so she would trip over it. “Another time, Vixen. I want your boss!” she said. She addressed her next announcement to her allies. “The Joker is mine!” She burst through the door the Joker had vanished through and pursued the sound of his retreating laughter.

The Joker led her through a number of rooms, flinging objects into her path as he fled. She let him run, knowing she could keep him in sight as the terrified criminal tired. He left the building and picked up speed, racing for his getaway car. Snow had begun to fall lightly, but he could see the windows were not yet covered. He seemed to have been given a reasonable chance at getting away.

Batgirl stopped and reached for her hip.

“Curses!” the Joker cried as he realized a Batarang had suddenly sliced through one of his tires and lodged into place, flattening it. The Joker glanced fearfully over his shoulder. Batgirl was coming.

She walked toward him now, letting a smile cross her pretty face, as her chest rose and fell rhythmically. The smile Batgirl showed him was a contrast to the heroine’s natural beauty. There was nothing at all pleasant about it. The woman who had hospitalized his men last year was coming for him. The Joker saw vengeful doom about to be visited upon him in that smile. He knew no imaginable preparation he might have made could prevent her from carrying out her plans. He had no Earthly hope of escaping Gotham City’s approaching, avenging Angel.

The Joker fled. Batgirl went after him again, jogging easily as the green-haired monster sprinted across the parking lot and along the sidewalk. Batgirl slowed, pacing herself as she trotted after the villain. The Joker ran more frantically, knowing he was leaving footprints in the snow his pulchritudinous pursuer would effortlessly follow. Suddenly, the Joker spotted an alley and turned to run into it. His feet pounded as he plunged forward, until he realized he would have to skid to a halt and turn back. A brick wall loomed before him. He had boxed himself in.

“Come out, come out, wherever you are,” Batgirl called to him, letting a sweetness she did not feel imbue her voice.

The Joker wasn’t laughing now. He knew he was trapped! It was over. Batgirl was coming to get him.

He darted glances all around, seeking a means of escape. All of a sudden he laughed as his gaze settled on a chance discovery, seemingly left for him by the whimsical rulers of wickedness--the Batgirlcycle.

“I’m coming, Batgirl.” he said, mounting the bike. “I’m coming right now!” He let the laughter warming his soul bubble over in a cacophonic crescendo as he quickly hot-wired the vehicle. Then, the sound of the engine drowned his voice.

Batgirl rarely swore. As she watched the Clown Prince of Crime bearing down on her; riding her vehicle; and laughing uproariously the entire time, she made a rare exception. Every scintilla of the fury boiling within Batgirl was condensed and unleashed in one emotion-packed syllable. At the same time, she bent her knees.

“Be seeing you, Batgirl!” the Joker called as he bent over the handlebars, preparing to run over his enchanting enemy. “Maybe you’ll have something in your utility belt for that run-down feeling!”

Batgirl leaped into the air and spun. As she had planned, the Joker straightened to keep her in view. She took advantage, extending her leg as her body faced backward in midair. The Joker felt a bone-shattering blow impact the side of his head and flew from the motorcycle, which slid into the side wall with its engine roaring and the back wheel spinning.

The Mad Mountebank of Mockery bounded off a brick wall and the ground before coming to rest flat on his face. He moaned and looked up to see a voluptuous vision standing over him with fists on her hips and her legs spread to shoulder width.

“You really shouldn’t have done that,” Batgirl said softly.

The villain stared at his pursuer and reached for his coat pockets. He remembered he had a gun in each. “Well, Batgirl, it seems I’m down to my last shot!” He started to laugh and felt the toe of Batgirl’s boot slam his right hand into the brick wall and his left wrist twisted mercilessly. Both guns clattered to the ground.

“Another mistake,” Batgirl said, shaking her head as she lifted the villain by the collar and shoved him across the alley where he impacted the opposite wall with considerable force.

“All right, Batgirl. You got me. I give--”

“Shut up!” Batgirl commanded, slapping him hard enough to turn his head.

“But--”

A backhand interrupted the Joker’s protest. “I told you to shut up! Now, I mean shut up!”

The Joker nodded, raised his arms and felt the furious foe of felons flatten him with another blow.

“Good. Now, get up!” Batgirl said. As she pulled him to his feet, he felt her raised knee slam hard into his groin. The Joker yelped and Batgirl put a finger to his lips to silence him. She smiled at him with a smile that did not reach her eyes.

“I’ve been looking forward to this and I’m going to make it last, ” she whispered, letting her voice fill with menace.

The Joker stared at her fearfully as she knocked him back to the ground. Batgirl was pleased he had landed on the arm with the twisted wrist. She smiled as the Joker yelped with pain while returning to his feet.

“Did I tell you to get up?”

“No.” He began to sit down on the ground.

“Stop! I insist you allow me,” she declared, shoving him toward the back of the alley again. The Joker sprawled. “Get up. Now!” she ordered as she approached him slowly.

“Why did you knock me down like that if you wanted me to stand?”

‘Because I’m enjoying the exercise,” she answered, dragging him to his feet and knocking him to the ground again.

This time he said nothing as she hauled him to his feet. Batgirl nodded and hit him with a combination of gut shots. The Joker tried to block some them and was dismayed when Gotham’s Dark Angel shook her head and smiled.

“What did I do?” he protested.

“I’ll give you the list,” she said, slamming him into the wall again audibly. “Just now you tried to pull not one but two guns on me.” Batgirl spoke slowly, her mouth only inches from the Joker’s face. With a suddenness that contrasted dramatically with her mode of speech, she hit him hard in the ribs twice.

The Joker gasped as pain exploded from the points of impact and slowly spread along his nerves.

“You also stole my Batgirlcycle and tried to run me down.” Another blow to the Joker’s chest wracked his body with pain. “Earlier, you tried to squash me into yuckpaste with your gigantic top.” Her next blow seemed to the Joker to crack ribs. “You also left me hanging around at the Iceberg Lounge after your gang attacked me with sticky streamer guns” Her next blow worried him since the Joker could not be sure how the pounding his chest would take might rearrange his bone structure. If Batgirl was not careful, the jagged edge of a broken bone could impale something vital inside his chest. The Joker was not optimistic about the care with which the vindictive vigilante would dismantle him. “That brings me to last year,” Batgirl went on.. “You left me to be pulled apart on that jack-in-the-box. Beforehand, however, you allowed your goons to paw at me while I was helpless.”

The Joker tried to smile sheepishly. “Listen, Batgirl. I’m sorry. I mean it. I made a mistake. I realize that was a terrible, horrible mistake! I will never do anything like that ever again. I promise. I mean it. Really. Can’t we let that part of the past remain in the past?”

“No,” Batgirl said simply. She stepped back and unleashed one of her showgirl kicks, which landed between his legs.

“You put each of the men who transgressed you in the hospital last year. Potential henchmen are terrified. You addressed the situation a year ago. It’s resolved.” The Joker’s voice was barely more than a whisper as he pleaded with her. He knew his appeal would be made in vain as Batgirl immediately began to shake her head.

“I started addressing that situation last year. I’ve gotten back to that little chore a few minutes ago,” she explained as she delivered a second kick to the same spot as the first.

The Joker felt his body begin to sag and slide down the wall. Batgirl held him up by leaning a forearm against his throat.

“You don’t get off anywhere near that easily, Joker. We’re just getting started,” Batgirl said. The Joker could not speak because of Batgirl’s forearm pressed against his throat, but his eyes widened and made Batgirl smile a genuine smile. The Joker was scared of what she planned to do to him. The glimmer of terror she saw in his eyes gave her a warm feeling that spread all the way down to her toes.

“The list goes on,” she informed him mercilessly. “I still vividly recall your tickling machine. I remember how you had me wound up in those wires in the Batmobile and held me hostage to make Batman kill Commissioner Gordon. Finally, way back when, you tried to launch me into space on your rocket!” As she finished her charges, Batgirl stepped back; removed her arm from his throat, and hit him with an uppercut that landed with titanic force.

The Joker’s head bounced off the wall audibly. “I just realized something, Joker,” she announced.

“What’s that?” he asked, fearfully.

“I’ve been talking too much.”

“Please don’t, Batgirl. You’re supposed to be one of the good guys,” the Joker pleaded. Suddenly, terror seized him with a fresh grip. “When I say ‘good guys’, Batgirl, I’m using an expression,” he explained hastily, using a defensive gesture to emphasize the point.

Batgirl said nothing. She let him see her face transform into an impassive mask and began to pummel him. She intended to leave deep bruises initially. Later, she would begin to systematically break him.

As Batgirl worked, the Joker’s puny defenses evaporated utterly. It became progressively easier to hit him wherever she chose.

“Are you going to arrest him?” a voice asked from the open end of the alley.

Batgirl let her victim sag and turned to face the newcomer. Batwoman approached.

“Batwoman, what are you doing here?”

“I came in case you needed help with the Joker. We’ve bundled up the rest of his gang. I had a turn cracking those brunette’s heads together and Batman and Robin fought in such a way as to use Joker’s ladies’ strength and momentum against them. It was very impressive. Flamebird and I, of course, had no need to be gentlemen. We called the police. They are on their way.”

“I have the situation under control. I’ll have finished by the time the police catch up with us.”

“May I ask what you plan to do to Joker?”

“I put him away last year and he escaped long before serving out his sentence. Warden Crichton’s programs have potential, but criminals like the Joker have no intention of letting them succeed.”

“I know. It looks like you’ve decided on an alternative.”

“I thought I’d put him in a body cast,” Batgirl stated.

“That might work. Are you sure?”

“He deserves it, Batwoman. Believe me.”

“I do.”

“Are you going to give me a hard time about this?” Batgirl was beginning to think about her plans. While part of her was furious with the Joker and felt she was being more than reasonable, she knew her intentions were wrong. Hearing herself ask Batwoman the question convinced her.

“No,” Batwoman answered.

“Batwoman, she’s attacking me. Help!”

Batwoman ignored the Joker while Batgirl glared at him.

“Would you like to help?”

“No.” Batwoman smiled at her colleague and shrugged. “I trust you have good reasons for whatever you plan to do.”

“You have no idea.”

“You might be surprised.”

“Would you like to share whatever may be behind that remark?” Batwoman recalled how the Joker had treated Flamebird and her before he had left them to die. She blinked and suppressed an urge to accept Batgirl’s offer to help with the beating. “I would like you to do me a favor, though.”

“What is that?”

“Before you do anything to the Joker you may regret later, ask yourself whether he is really worth the trouble.”

Batgirl stared as Batwoman turned and began to leave the alley slowly. She considered the other woman’s concern. She turned to the Joker, lying crumpled and defeated at her feet. She recalled the thrill surging through her as she had pounded on him, hurting him as he had so many others. Then she considered how the Joker had fled into the alley. She returned her gaze to Batwoman.

The Joker stirred at Batgirl’s feet and looked up at her fearfully. It seemed he was about to say something, but he changed his mind when he saw her face again.

Batgirl had long ago resolved to punish him and had argued out the moral questions in her mind. She could carry out her plan so effortlessly and sleep confidently afterward knowing she had done a good thing. The Joker deserved whatever came his way. Even Batwoman seemed to think so.

“Wait, Batwoman! Please?” Batgirl said suddenly.

Batwoman paused and looked over her shoulder.

“I’ll be right with you.” Batgirl turned to the Joker and pulled something from her hip. “She’s right, Joker. You are pathetic-not worth the trouble.” Batgirl reached down and hauled the Joker to his feet roughly by his collar. She threw the object she had taken from her belt to the ground where it shattered some distance away. “Now, I’m placing you under arrest, Joker. That will hold you until the police arrive. After your trial, I hope you consider letting Warden Crichton help you.”

The Joker felt himself stumbling toward the shattered object. He fell into a mess of shattered plastic and tiny globules of sticky gel. “No!” Joker screamed. “Curse you, Batgirl. You’ve trapped me with my own secret formula!”

“Turnabout is fair play, Joker,” the Purple Paragon said. Then she laughed with genuine humor.

“You know, Batgirl,” Batwoman said, “that is funny.”

“It is not!” the Joker protested. “I’ll get you for this, Batgirl! You haven’t heard the last of The Joker! When I get out of jail, I’ll make you pay dearly!”

Batgirl turned from him, still laughing, and moved to join Batwoman, pausing to retrieve her Batgirlcycle on the way. The Yellow-Clad Cutie was also laughing.

“Thank you, Batwoman.”

“You’re welcome, Batgirl.”

"You know," Batgirl mused, "this Christmas wasn't so bad after all.”

Neither heroine had looked at the Joker since Batgirl had stuck him in place.

He was still shouting at them when the women disappeared.

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