In DC/Young Justice with the Omnitrix/Ultimatrix and a Chat Group

The address on the Joker's card leads me to an abandoned amusement park on the outskirts of Gotham - Amusement Mile, according to the rusted sign hanging crookedly above the entrance.

The once-cheerful carnival grounds have decayed into a grotesque parody of entertainment, with broken rides silhouetted against the midnight sky like the skeletons of prehistoric beasts.

"How fitting," I mutter, approaching the main gate with caution. The fake research notes feel heavy in my bag, a reminder of the dangerous game I'm about to play.

Just as I reach the entrance, a familiar shimmer appears in my peripheral vision.

The translucent blue rectangle of the Omniversal Observation System materializes, but instead of expanding into a video call, it transforms into a one-way viewing window with text beneath it.

[OMNIVERSAL OBSERVATION SYSTEM ACTIVATED]

[HEIGHTENED CONSEQUENCE EVENT DETECTED]

[OBSERVATION MODE ENGAGED]

[PARTICIPANTS OBSERVING: AZULA, LIGHT YAGAMI, SŌSUKE AIZEN]

I freeze momentarily. They can see me, but I can't see them. The System had warned about reconnecting during a "period of heightened consequence" - apparently, that time is now.

I can't afford to acknowledge the window or appear distracted.

Whatever happens next will be witnessed by the three of them. 

A text message appears beneath the viewing window:

Light Yagami: "This should be informative."

Taking a deep breath, I continue forward. My enhanced senses detect movement in the shadows - at least five armed men positioned strategically around the perimeter.

They make no move to stop me as I enter, which means they're expecting me. The Joker's invitation, it seems, was genuine.

The park's central plaza is dimly lit by flickering floodlights that cast everything in a sickly green glow. In the center stands a carousel, its horses frozen mid-gallop, paint peeling from their wooden bodies.

Atop the carousel's platform, a makeshift laboratory has been assembled - tables laden with scientific equipment, computer monitors displaying scrolling data, and at the center, a large circular frame that bears an unsettling resemblance to our testing apparatus at GSI.

The Joker stands beside it, his purple suit vivid against the decaying backdrop.

He's examining some component with surprising focus, a pair of reading glasses perched incongruously on his nose.

"Ah! The boy genius arrives!" he calls out, spotting me. He removes the glasses and tucks them into his pocket with a flourish. "Right on time! Welcome to my humble laboratory!"

Azula: "So this is the criminal he mentioned. Unimpressive."

I approach steadily, keeping my expression neutral despite the tension coiling within me. "I've brought what you asked for," I say, patting my bag. "Where are the hostages?"

"Business before pleasure, hmm?" The Joker grins, wagging a finger. "They're safe enough. For now." He gestures to a side building - a dilapidated fun house with a faded clown face adorning its entrance.

"Being well cared for by my associates. You'll see them when I've verified the authenticity of your contribution."

I glance toward the fun house, my enhanced hearing picking up faint sounds of movement inside. The hostages are likely there, along with several guards.

"You've been busy," I observe, nodding toward the equipment. "Where did you get all this?"

"Oh, I'm something of a collector," he says airily. "A bit from S.T.A.R. Labs, a piece from Wayne Enterprises, a smidge from LexCorp...

I find people remarkably willing to part with their possessions when properly motivated." His grin widens. "Now, let's see those notes, shall we?"

Aizen: "Interesting. He maintains composure despite the obvious danger."

I remove the notebook from my bag and hand it to him. "It's all there - the quantum resonance equations, the dimensional targeting protocols, the power calibration formulas."

He flips through the pages eagerly, his eyes scanning the complex equations with surprising comprehension. "Beautiful," he murmurs. "Simply beautiful. The mathematics of reality itself, laid bare."

"It's not time travel," I say firmly. "What you're proposing is dimensional transit - moving between parallel realities, not changing our own past."

He waves dismissively. "Semantics, my boy! If I can reach a dimension where little Brucie's parents are about to walk down that alley, the effect is the same." His eyes gleam with manic intensity.

"The beauty of the multiverse is that somewhere, somewhen, every possibility exists. I just need to find the right one."

I watch him carefully as he continues examining the notes. "Even if you could reach such a dimension, you'd only be creating a branch timeline. You wouldn't be changing our reality."

"Perhaps," he concedes, surprising me. "But the poetry of it remains. And more importantly-" his voice drops to a near whisper, "-he'll know. When I tell him what I've done, he'll know that in some reality, I'm the architect of everything he is."

He straightens, clapping his hands together. "Now! Let's get to work, shall we? We have history to rewrite!"

Light: "His plan is both ingenious and absurd. Creating a causal loop to break his enemy psychologically."

For the next hour, we work on integrating my equations into his makeshift device. I'm careful to guide him toward implementing the flawed aspects of my design while appearing cooperative.

The Joker proves disturbingly knowledgeable about quantum physics, asking pointed questions that force me to improvise explanations that sound plausible while ensuring the device won't function as he intends.

"You know," he says conversationally as we calibrate one of the field generators, "most people don't appreciate the humor in quantum mechanics. Schrödinger's cat - both alive and dead until observed?

That's comedy gold! The universe itself can't make up its mind! I tried the experiment myself once, but I peeked too soon.

The cat was DEFINITELY dead!" He cackles. "Though the toxin might have had something to do with it!"

"Is that what this is about for you?" I ask, adjusting a connection. "Finding humor in chaos?"

"Everything is about finding humor in chaos," he replies, his tone suddenly philosophical. "Life is a cosmic joke with no punchline.

We're all just temporary arrangements of atoms, destined to dissolve back into the void." He tightens a bolt with surprising precision. "The only sane response is to laugh at the absurdity of it all."

Azula: "Nihilism disguised as philosophy. Pathetic."

"That's a convenient philosophy," I say carefully. "It absolves you of responsibility for your actions."

His eyes narrow slightly. "Responsibility? To what? Arbitrary moral codes invented by meat puppets to pretend the universe has meaning?" He laughs, the sound echoing through the abandoned park.

"I simply acknowledge what everyone else desperately denies - that it's all meaningless. Every life, every death, every so-called achievement. Dust in the cosmic wind."

"You're wrong," I say quietly, continuing to work on the device. "There is meaning. There's always meaning."

"Oh?" The Joker raises a painted eyebrow. "Do tell, Professor Philosophy!"

Aizen: "Now this should be interesting."

"All meanings revolve around a single meaning, for all is cause and effect bound by the uncaused cause," I continue, my voice steady. "It's just that people need to realize that.

No matter what you do, that meaning is beyond what you can deny - because by doing so, you'll deny the meaning in your own denial."

The Joker's smile falters slightly. "That's circular logic, kiddo. If you're trying to out-philosophy the philosopher clown, you'll need to do better than fortune cookie wisdom."

"It's not circular, it's fundamental," I counter. "Your entire existence is defined by your relationship with Batman.

You find meaning in trying to prove life has no meaning. The very act of denying meaning creates meaning for you. It's the ultimate self-contradiction."

Light: "Well articulated. The paradox of nihilism exposed."

His smile tightens. "Careful, boy genius. Psychoanalysis can be hazardous to your health in Gotham."

We continue working in silence for a few minutes. I'm acutely aware of the armed men positioned around the carousel, watching our interaction with wary eyes.

One of them, a burly man with a scarred face, seems particularly on edge, his hand never straying far from his holstered gun.

"Let me ask you something," the Joker says eventually, his tone deceptively casual. "What's your stake in all this?

A bright young mind like yours could be changing the world. Instead, you're in dreary Gotham, playing with dimensional doorways. Why?"

It's a probing question, "I go where the research takes me," I reply with a shrug. "GSI offered resources and freedom that other institutions couldn't match."

"Hmm." He studies me, his gaze uncomfortably perceptive. "And yet you seem remarkably... adaptable for someone so young. Almost as if you've seen more of the world than your years would suggest."

I maintain my focus on the calibration I'm performing. "I've had an unusual life."

"Haven't we all," he chuckles. "Haven't we all."

Another hour passes as we continue assembling the device. It's taking shape now - a circular portal frame surrounded by power conduits and control systems.

To an untrained eye, it looks impressive and potentially functional.

In reality, I've ensured that any attempt to activate it will result in, at most, a localized energy discharge rather than an actual dimensional breach.

"We'll need to test the power systems," I say, stepping back to examine our work. "But that should wait until tomorrow. The calibration needs time to stabilize."

"Eager to leave so soon?" The Joker's smile doesn't reach his eyes. "But we're having such fun! And I haven't even shown you our guests yet!"

He snaps his fingers, and two of his men emerge from the fun house, escorting the hostages - the woman, the young man, and the child, all looking terrified and exhausted.

Their hands are bound, and they flinch at every movement from their captors.

"See? All present and accounted for," the Joker says cheerfully. "A little family outing to the amusement park. Isn't that nice?"

The woman makes a muffled sound behind her gag, her eyes pleading. The child is trembling, tears streaming down his face.

The young man - likely the father - stares at me with a mixture of fear and desperate hope.

"They've been very patient," the Joker continues. "Though I'm afraid the accommodations aren't five-star. Budget constraints, you understand."

"I've kept my end of the bargain," I say firmly. "I've given you the research and helped build the initial framework.

The device won't be operational for weeks. There's no reason to keep them."

The Joker's expression darkens. "Oh, but there is. You see, I need assurance of your continued cooperation. And nothing motivates quite like the threat of innocent blood on your hands."

"You don't need all three," I argue, calculating my next move carefully. "Release the child and his mother. Keep the father if you must have insurance."

"How noble!" The Joker claps mockingly. "The hero negotiating for the women and children! Very traditional." His smile vanishes, replaced by a cold stare.

"But I don't think you understand our arrangement. You don't make demands. You don't set terms.

You do as I say, or they all die. That's the joke - you think you have a choice, but you don't."

I meet his gaze steadily. "Everyone has choices. Even you."

Aizen: "Bold. He's challenging the madman directly."

"Philosophy from a teenager!" He laughs, but there's an edge to it now. "Let me explain something about choices, boy genius.

Every choice you've ever made was predetermined by your genetics, your environment, your brain chemistry. Free will is the greatest illusion of all. We're all just dancing to the tune of our neurons."

"If that were true," I counter, "your entire plan would be pointless.

If Batman was always destined to become Batman, then your intervention in his origin would be meaningless - just another predetermined event in a fixed timeline."

His eyes narrow dangerously. "You're a clever one, aren't you? Too clever, perhaps."

"I'm just applying your own logic," I say with a shrug. "If everything is meaningless and predetermined, then so is this plan.

So is your entire existence. So is Batman's. Why bother with any of it?"

The Joker's face contorts with sudden anger. "Because it's FUNNY!" he shouts, making the hostages jump.

"Because watching people cling to their precious illusions of meaning while I tear them down piece by piece is HILARIOUS!"

He pulls a gun from his jacket and points it at the child. "Let's test your philosophical convictions, shall we?

Tell me again how meaningful choices are while I put a bullet in this brat's head!"

The moment stretches, tension crackling in the air. The child whimpers behind his gag, eyes wide with terror. The mother struggles against her restraints, making desperate noises.

I keep my expression calm, though my mind races through options.

I could transform and save them, but that would expose my abilities and potentially endanger more lives in the long run.

I need another approach.

"Go ahead," I say softly.

The Joker blinks, clearly not expecting that response. "What?"

"Go ahead," I repeat, my voice steady. "Shoot the child. Then the mother. Then the father. Kill them all." I step closer, maintaining eye contact.

"And then what? You'll have no leverage. No insurance. And I'll have no reason to help you anymore. In fact, I'll have every reason to sabotage your plan, even at the cost of my own life."

His gun hand wavers slightly. "You wouldn't-"

"I would," I interrupt, taking another step forward. "You see, that's the flaw in your philosophy, Joker.

If life truly has no meaning, then neither does death. If everything is a joke, then so is your threat. Kill them.

Prove me right. Show me that your leverage means nothing because life means nothing."

I take another step closer. "But we both know that's not true. These lives matter. Your plan matters.

Batman matters. It all has meaning, and that's what terrifies you. Because if life has meaning, then so do your actions. And if your actions have meaning, then you're responsible for them."

A stunned silence falls over the carousel. Even the armed men are watching with wide eyes.

"Kid's out-crazying the boss," the scarred man mutters to his companion.

The Joker's head snaps toward him, eyes blazing. Without hesitation, he shifts his aim and fires. The scarred man crumples to the ground, a bullet hole neatly centered in his forehead.

"Anyone else care to comment?" the Joker asks pleasantly, as if inquiring about the weather.

The remaining men shake their heads quickly, eyes averted.

The Joker turns back to me, his gun now aimed at my chest. "You've got guts, kid. I'll give you that.

But don't mistake my appreciation for weakness." He lowers the gun slowly. "The hostages stay. You continue helping. That's the deal."

"Then keep them alive and unharmed," I insist. "Otherwise, this partnership ends."

He studies me for a long moment, then bursts into laughter. "Partnership! Oh, that's rich!" The laughter cuts off abruptly. "Fine. They live, as long as you cooperate. But don't push your luck again."

He gestures to his men. "Take our guests back to their accommodations. Make sure they're fed. Wouldn't want our insurance policy to expire prematurely."

As the hostages are led away, the child looks back at me, a flicker of hope in his terrified eyes. I give him the smallest of nods, a silent promise that I haven't forgotten them.

"Now," the Joker says, holstering his gun, "where were we? Ah, yes! The power systems."

We resume work on the device, the atmosphere now charged with a dangerous tension.

I'm careful to maintain my cooperative demeanor while continuing to implement subtle flaws in the design.

The Joker seems to have accepted my technical expertise at face value, which works to my advantage.

"You know what I like about you, kid?" he says after a while. "You're not boring. Most people, they're so predictable. Scream, beg, moralize.

But you - you've got layers. Reminds me a bit of Batsy, actually."

"I'll take that as a compliment," I reply dryly.

"Oh, it is! It is!" He grins. "He's the only person in this miserable city worth talking to. Everyone else is just... background noise."

Light: "The criminal sees a kindred spirit in you. Dangerous."

As he speaks, I notice a shadow moving at the edge of my enhanced vision - a flicker of movement on the roof of a nearby building.

Someone is watching us. Batman, most likely. The question is: how long has he been there, and what is he planning?

I need to keep the Joker distracted and position myself advantageously for whatever happens next.

"Tell me something," I say, adjusting a power coupling. "If you succeed - if you actually manage to insert yourself into Batman's origin - what then? What's your endgame?"

"Endgame?" The Joker laughs. "There is no endgame! That's the beauty of it! It's an infinite loop, a perfect circle of causality. I create Batman, Batman creates me, around and around forever!"

"Sounds exhausting," I comment.

"Oh no, it's liberating!" His eyes shine with manic glee. "To embrace the absurdity, to dance on the edge of chaos - that's true freedom!"

As he speaks, I notice more movement - subtle shifts in the shadows around the perimeter of the amusement park.

Batman isn't alone. He's positioning people, preparing for an intervention.

I need to ensure the hostages are safe when it happens.

"I think we've done enough for tonight," I say, stepping back from the device. "The initial framework is in place, but we'll need specialized components for the next phase.

I can source them through GSI, but it will take time."

The Joker frowns. "How much time?"

"A few days, at least. Maybe a week." I begin packing up my tools. "Rushing would be dangerous. One miscalculation with this kind of technology could have... unpredictable results."

He studies me suspiciously. "You're not stalling, are you, boy genius? That would be a very unhealthy choice."

"I'm being realistic," I reply calmly. "This isn't something you can rush. Unless you want to risk tearing a hole in reality itself?"

He considers this, then shrugs. "Fine. One week. But I expect daily progress reports, and-"

A sudden crash interrupts him as one of the floodlights explodes, plunging part of the carousel into darkness.

The Joker's men react immediately, drawing weapons and scanning the shadows.

Light: "An intervention. Perfect timing."

"Well, well," the Joker sighs, pulling his gun. "It seems we have an uninvited guest. How rude!"

A batarang whistles through the air, knocking the gun from the Joker's hand. Another takes out a second floodlight, further darkening the area.

"Batsy!" the Joker calls out gleefully. "Come to join our little science project? We could use a test subject!"

A dark shape descends from above, landing in the center of the carousel with barely a sound. Batman rises slowly to his full height, his cape settling around him like wings.

"It's over, Joker," he growls. "GCPD is securing the perimeter. Your men are already being neutralized."

As if on cue, shouts and the sounds of combat erupt from the edges of the park.

The Joker laughs. "Over? But we're just getting started! Tell him, boy genius! Tell him about our wonderful plan!"

Batman's gaze shifts to me, his expression unreadable behind the cowl. "Step away from him, Mr. Morningstar. You're out of your depth."

I back away slowly, positioning myself closer to the fun house where the hostages are being held. "He has hostages," I say urgently. "A family. In the fun house."

Batman nods almost imperceptibly. "Commissioner Gordon is handling it."

The Joker's smile falters slightly. "Always ruining the punchline, aren't you, Bats? But this joke's too good to spoil." He pulls a small remote from his pocket.

"One push, and our little dimensional doorway gets an unscheduled power surge. Want to see what happens when amateur portal technology goes critical?"

Batman tenses. "Put it down, Joker. Whatever you're planning, it won't work."

"Oh, but it will!" The Joker's finger hovers over the button. "It's perfect, don't you see? I go back, I create you, you create me! The ultimate cosmic joke!"

"That's not how time works," Batman says flatly. "You can't change the past."

"So narrow-minded!" The Joker tuts. "Always thinking inside the box. But we're talking about breaking the box! Shattering reality itself!"

As they face off, I edge closer to the fun house, trying to determine the best course of action.

My enhanced hearing picks up movement inside - Gordon and his officers must be working to free the hostages.

Suddenly, a gunshot rings out from inside the fun house, followed by shouting. The Joker's head snaps toward the sound, his face contorting with rage.

"No, no, NO! They're MINE!" he screams, pressing the button on the remote.

The makeshift device behind him hums to life, power surging through its components.

Sparks fly from connections, and the central ring begins to glow with an unstable blue light - exactly as I designed it to do, but with more power than I anticipated.

The Joker must have modified some components, amplifying the energy discharge beyond my calculations.

Batman moves with incredible speed, throwing a batarang that knocks the remote from the Joker's hand, then lunging forward to tackle him.

They crash to the ground as the device continues to build energy, the unstable glow intensifying to dangerous levels.

Azula: "Now we see if you're more than just talk."

This is bad. The discharge will be far more powerful than I intended - potentially dangerous to everyone nearby. I need to contain it.

I glance around quickly. Batman is occupied with the Joker. The police are focused on the hostages. No one is watching me directly.

It's now or never.

I activate the Ultimatrix, cycling quickly to Chromastone. The familiar surge of energy washes over me as I transform, my body becoming crystalline, purple, and capable of absorbing vast amounts of energy.

Aizen: "Most interesting. A transformation ability."

The device reaches critical mass just as my transformation completes.

A blinding surge of blue-white energy erupts from the central ring, arcing outward in deadly tendrils.

Before it can spread, I leap forward, placing myself directly in its path.

The energy slams into me with tremendous force, but instead of destroying me, it flows into my crystalline body.

I feel it coursing through me, a torrent of raw power that I absorb and contain. The sensation is exhilarating and terrifying all at once - like trying to swallow an ocean.

For several seconds, I stand at the center of a storm of light, channeling the device's entire energy discharge into myself.

The carousel beneath me begins to char and smoke from the residual heat, but the catastrophic explosion the Joker intended never materializes.

Light: "Remarkable. Energy absorption capabilities."

As the energy flow finally subsides, I release a controlled burst upward into the sky - a harmless beam of light that dissipates in the clouds above Gotham.

The device, now drained and damaged beyond repair, collapses into a smoking heap of twisted metal.

I turn to find Batman staring at me, the Joker pinned beneath him but momentarily forgotten. His expression is unreadable behind the cowl, but his posture has shifted to one of wary readiness.

I've exposed myself. There's no going back now.

I transform back to human form, the familiar flash of light leaving me standing as Samael once more.

"What are you?" Batman demands, his voice a low growl.

Before I can answer, the Joker starts laughing - a slow chuckle that builds into hysterical cackling. "Oh, this is PERFECT! The boy genius isn't just a genius - he's a monster!

A shape-shifting, energy-eating FREAK!" He dissolves into uncontrollable laughter.

"I'm not your enemy," I say to Batman, ignoring the Joker. "I was trying to sabotage his plan from the inside. The device was never going to work as he intended."

Batman's eyes narrow. "We'll discuss this later," he says finally, hauling the still-laughing Joker to his feet. "For now, stay put. Gordon will want a statement."

Aizen: "A significant turning point. Your secret is revealed."

As he drags the Joker away, the clown calls back over his shoulder: "See you soon, boy genius!

We're going to have SO MUCH FUN together!" His laughter echoes through the abandoned park long after he's gone from sight.

I stand amid the wreckage of the carousel, contemplating what just happened. I've saved lives and stopped the Joker's plan, but at the cost of revealing my abilities to Batman - arguably the most dangerous person to know my secret in this entire city.

The Omniversal Observation System window flickers, and a final message appears:

[HEIGHTENED CONSEQUENCE EVENT CONCLUDED]

[OBSERVATION MODE DISENGAGING]

[DIRECT COMMUNICATION TO RESUME AT NEXT INTERVAL]

The window vanishes, leaving me alone with my thoughts as police officers emerge from the fun house, escorting the freed hostages.

The hostages look shaken but unharmed, which provides some comfort.

Commissioner Gordon approaches, his expression a mixture of relief and suspicion. "The family's safe," he says without preamble. "Batman says you were being coerced."

I nod, adopting the demeanor of a shaken but resilient teenager. "He threatened those hostages. I had to play along until help arrived."

Gordon studies me with shrewd eyes, then glances at the smoking remains of the device. "That thing... it looked like it was about to explode. Then there was a flash of light, and you were standing there." His gaze sharpens. "Want to explain that?"

I hesitate, weighing my options. Batman already knows. Lying to Gordon would only compound the problem.

"It's complicated," I say finally. "I have... abilities. I used them to absorb the energy discharge and prevent an explosion."

Gordon's eyebrows rise. "Abilities. I see." He sighs deeply. "This city gets stranger every day. We'll need a full statement, but that can wait until tomorrow.

For now, go home and get some rest. And don't leave town."

As the police process the scene and attend to the rescued hostages, I stand apart, contemplating the night's events.

I successfully confronted the Joker, helped save innocent lives, and prevented a potential disaster - but at the cost of revealing a small part of my secret to Batman and the GCPD.

The Joker's mad plan has been thwarted, but my position in this world is now more precarious than ever.

Yet, I don't truly feel worried. I don't know. One could perhaps call it a form of instinct, but I simply know everything will be alright.

That whatever comes next, I'll be ready for.

-------------------------------

(Author note: Hello everyone! I hope you all enjoyed the chapter!

So! Do tell me how you found the conclusion to the small clown arc?

I know, I know, we all wanted Sam to rip Joker's heart out and make him eat it - believe me, I did too.

But! It's stupid.

Going all brutal murder happy right now without any proper foundation, any good rep, allies etc. is just not the right call.

Joker will eventually return - cause the Clown Prince of Crimehas gained interest in Sammy.

He's after all one of the few who thoroughly dismanteled his philosophy so thoroughly - as far as I'm aware. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Also, I can't promise he will be killed immediately in his second return - depends on how established Sam is, but I can promise maiming at least.

So yeah, I hope to see you all later,

Bye!)