December 24th, Christmas Eve 

Y/N sat at the Batcomputer in the Belfry, looking over every piece of information had gathered in regard to the Holiday Killer. They had struck twice so far, and both times was at the heart of the Roman's operations. It seemed whoever they were was targeting the Roman in an attempt to also bring him down. But in bringing down the Roman, Holiday was making Falcone into a corner, and you never back an animal into a corner lest you feel their wrath. One of the larger monitors displayed many of the suspects Y/N had managed to narrow down. But the list was too big, the evidence linking many of them was thin like paper and many of them didn't have motives. Hell half of Carmine's and Maroni's Capos and Solider's were listed. Y/N had even considered someone with ulterior motives, such as one of the Clayfaces or an outside crime organisation such as Intergang. 

Y/N was getting frustrated, days earlier he had once again met up with Pamela for a small catch up. Although he made sure not to drink any alcohol and exchanged it for ginger ale. An old trick Bruce used to use. It was just another catch up drink, Y/N made sure to stress that he had no romantic intentions which Pamela laughed about. Whatever they had, was in the past. But Y/N couldn't lie when he said he found Pamela attractive, platonically.

'You need to stop focusing on yourself' that voice slithered into his mind once again, over the last few months it had grown louder and louder. Mimicking his own voice and judging every Batman and personal choice he made. 'Selina, Pamela, deals with the DA, they're all distractions to the main objective. You need to focus, day and night you should be searching for Holiday, you disgrace. Anyone would be a better Batman than you'. 

Y/N gripped the desk tightly, biting his inside of his bottom lip as he couldn't shut the voice up. "Please, please shut up" he pleaded, tightly closing his eyes trying to silence the voice. 

'You volunteered to take the cowl, Dick, Jason, Cass, Duke. They all would've made better choices than you. You're nothing. They're waiting for you to fail, you failed your biological father now you're gonna fail your adopted father' 

Y/N felt his whole body shake, his hands trembling and eyes watering. 

The world around Y/N suddenly became a blur, and he felt as if the ground beneath him was shaking. His heart started racing, and his breathing became erratic, as if he had been running a marathon. The room felt like it was closing in on Y/N, and he struggled to catch his breath. Y/N tried to calm himself down, but it felt like a thousand thoughts were racing through his mind at once. Every sound seemed amplified, every movement felt like an earthquake. He felt like he was trapped in a nightmare that he couldn't escape from. The voice started getting louder and angrier, but he couldn't make out the words.

As Y/N tried to make sense of what was happening, he realised that he was having a panic attack. Y/N tried to focus on his breathing, but his body felt like it was on fire, and his heart was pounding so hard that it felt like it was going to burst out of his chest.For what felt like an eternity, he was trapped in his own body, struggling to regain control. But slowly, his breathing became more steady, and Y/N's heart rate began to slow. The world around him came back into focus, and he was left feeling drained, but relieved that the worst was over.

Y/N knew the voice would be back, much like the panic attack itself. Both may be gone for now, but their impact lingered on, like shadows that refused to be banished.

He steadied himself wavering from side to side but his grip on the desk grow tighter and tighter. Y/N slouched sitting back in his chair, a hand moving through his neat businessman hair roughing it up into a mess. He knew he had to get back work, he had to steady himself and find more evidence on who Holiday was. Suddenly one of the lights of the Batcomputer lit up, it was a signal from Commissioner Gordon. Y/N swallowed hard, pressing the button to open communications and ready himself. 

"Commissioner?" Y/N asked, purposely deepening his voice. 

"It's Day, he's willing to talk" Jim said, instantly the situation was realised to Y/N. They might have someone who's proficient in holiday themed killings. Normally working with criminals, one's locked in Arkham would be frowned upon, but they needed answers. "How soon can you meet me at Arkham?". 

An hour later both Batman and Commissioner Gordon were waling the halls of Arkham Asylum. The Intensive Treatment Centre was where a majority of the Rogues Gallery were held. Many of the cells were decorated by the inmates themselves, apparently it was to help them relax and get accompanied with their surroundings. Rather than having bars, each cell contained the criminals with reinforced glass. Jervis Tetch had a dozen different copies of Alice in Wonderland scattered around his cell, different pages torn out and sticked to the walls. Maxie Zeus had many religious symbols scribbled out with black pen. Waylon Jones had his own private cell beneath the ward, they couldn't let someone like that have access to yard time, so they walled off old parts of the sewer unearth the Asylum and he had a small portion of that to roam. 

"I shouldn't be here, I should be out hunting" Batman commented as he passed the cell of Matthew Hagen. 

"We've got it covered" Jim replied. "All of Gotham PD will be deployed throughout town by midnight. One way or another, when Holiday comes calling. We'll be ready" he explained, it probably cost the city a small fortune having all its cops out at once. "You know, this is all you. You and that family of yours" Jim said, talking about the many cells they were passing. 

"We're efficient" was all Batman replied. Throughout his career as Robin, Y/N probably fought half of these criminals, some of them upwards of twenty times. But as much as people think it's easy, Arkham has been learning from each breakout. Perfecting the art of holding super powered criminals. Some of it due to funding from the Roman himself, he feared what this new age of crime held. 

Eventually the duo came to the cell of the criminal they were hoping to see. Julian Gregory Day, otherwise known as the Calendar Man. Every inch of his cell was covered in certain dates from calendars, some themed some blank. 

"Calendar Man" Batman said, getting the criminals attention as his back was to them. 

"So..." he began, his voice smooth and a clam. Like without a worry in the world. "....a killer who only strikes on holidays. And it's December 24th" he turned to face the duo. "I was wondering when you'd get to me" he said with a creepy smile. 

"We don't have much time Day" the Commissioner said. 

"Who killed Johnny Viti on Halloween?" Batman added, taking a step forward towards the glass in anger. 

"The same person who killed Mickey Chen and his crew on Thanksgiving" Julian replied, still being gentle and emotionless. He was Gotham's own Hannibal Lecter. 

"We need a better answer than that" Jim shot back with narrowed eyes. 

Julian stepped closer to the glass. "Viti was The Roman's nephew, the Roman was Chen's employer. First suspect is therefore, the Roman" this comment caused Batman and Gordon to look at one another for a brief second. "But since sneaking around isn't Falcone's style, we move on to the second suspect. Someone hoping for the fall of the Roman Empire. Like Sal Maroni. He's as good a guess as any of the others". 

"What others?" Gordon pressed. 

"You're down a man" Julian replied, a brief moment of silence as they knew what the criminal was inferring. That perhaps Harvey Dent himself was the Holiday killer. 

"This is a waste of time" Batman said to Gordon, not wanting to hear what could be a possibility. 

"One of my requirements for this meeting was that you bring Mr Dent. He isn't safe out there you know" Julian added. 

"The DA who put most of you in Arkham?" Gordon asked. "Half the patients here would kill him on sight,  so I'd say out there is the only place he is safe". 

"Perhaps, or perhaps he doesn't know you're here. Perhaps the district attorney is a suspect?" Julian asked coyly, he saw it. The way Batman tensed, buckled under this questioning. The briefest movement gave everything away. "Ah" Julian then turned around to look at a wall of calendar dates. "Well of course, intelligent, calculating, with a mission to take down Carmine Falcone. It all fits" Julian came to the conclusion. 

"Harvey Dent is not a killer" Gordon tried to argue. 

"Unless he's leading a double life. Like your caped crusader friend here" Julian countered.

"Why did you ask for me?" Batman inquired. 

"So you could see for yourself" Calendar Man always did play coy. 

"I don't have time for your crazy" Batman objected to whatever game Julian was playing. 

"You really don't, there's lots of cray out there these days. And just when you thought, you'd cleaned it all up" he was referring to Bruce, not realising or caring that this was a different. Julian let out a loud, creepy sigh. "What a.......joke". It took a minute for Batman to realise what Calendar Man meant. No, it couldn't be. Batman ran, past many cells with his eyes widened and fear striking every corner of his being. Julian simply smiled, "Happy Holidays". 

"Open it" Batman roared to the guard outside of a cell marked 'Identity Unknown'. The vigilante forced the guards hand onto the biometric hand scanner with it lighting up. As the glass rose, Batman rushed inside the cell, and instantly a fowl smell entered his nostrils forcing him to use his cape to cover his nose. It smelt like rotting meat with an undertone of rotting vegetables. Batman moved away the blanked on the bed, revealing a corpse. A corpse that has been rotting for weeks now. Maggots filling the gashes, all covered in mould. There was a newspaper covering the face, one about Harvey Dent, with the words 'Ha, Ha, Ha' written in blood. 

"He had somebody get to my kids" the guard tried to reason, he knew. He's known all this time, he helped Joker escape. He let the Crown Prince of Crime go free. "If...if I didn't help him" the guard fell to his knees sobbing. 

"Harvey isn't safe" Batman yelled as Gordon entered  the cell. 

"Go" was all the Commissioner said. Batman then ran through the Asylum, calling the Batcycle to his location as he heard it. Many of the inmates, the lunatics, were laughing. Laughing at him. 

'This is why you fail at being Batman. Under your watch the most dangerous man in Arkham is free'

The Dent Household 

The house was adorned with many festive decorations, lights outside blaring green and red. A Christmas tree in the living room with many ornaments, each holding a different cherished memory. And one clown, putting his own decorations on the tree, singing his rendition of a Holiday classic

"Tis the season to be jolly, ha-ha-ha-ha, ha-ha-ha-ha. Outside it's an awful chiller, ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha. Boy, this Holiday's a killer ha-ha-ha-ha, ha-ha-ha-ha" his voice was high-pitched, manic, and had a slightly nasal tone. But there was a unsettling, sinister nature to it. 

Just then the door opened, and Joker hid behind the tree to hide from the District Attorney who returned home. "Gilda? Is that you?" Harvey asked as he stepped in and removed his tie. 

"Gilda?" Joker asked, stepping out revealing himself to Dent. He was dressed in his class three piece purple and orange suit, his green hair slicked backwards and a flower stuffed into his coat pockets. Even being in his late sixties, Joker still acted when his first appeared decades ago. "She looked like a Gilda". Harvey went wide eyed, rushing to a nearby draw in an attempt to reach for the gun Jim had gifted to him, but it was gone. Joker pulled out the gun, pointing it at the DA. "Looking for this?" he asked with maniacal laughter added at the end. "Relax lollipop" Joker assured putting the gun down. "Police issue?" Joker asked inspecting the pistol. 

"Where's my wife?!?" Harvey demanded. 

"She's right where I left her, last minute shopping" this statement seemed to relieve Dent somewhat, Joker didn't actually kill her. "Spoiler alert, it's socks" Joker spat out. 

"What do you want?" Harvey pressed. 

"Ohhh I thought I was playing Santi Claus!" Joker fake pouted. "Oh, all right. I want a fire engine, and a football and.... to deliver a message" he once again pointed the gun at Dent who backed up. 

"Put the gun down, and we'll talk" Harvey tried to reason. 

"Sure" Joker said with his signature smile. He fired the gun at Harvey's feet, causing the DA to seem like his dancing as he ran for cover. All the while Joker was laughing manically. Harvey took cover behind his couch, knowing he was running out of options. But as Joker continued to laugh, firing off more shots until the gun clicked signifying he had run out of ammo. Harvey ran out behind his cover with his fists raised. Dent tackled Joker to the ground, and delivered several swift blows the clowns face, bloodying his bottom lip and blackening his right eye. 

Joker then got a cheap shot in, kicking the DA in his own jewels causing him to wince and fall to the side holding his jewels in pain with Joker continuing to laugh. Joker then got up, and stood over Dent. Pulling out a new gun, the gun of the Holiday killer, same pistol, same baby nipple around the end. 

"Where did you get that?" Dent asked, still in pain. 

"Why? Ya mission' one?" the clown chuckled. "You could use some cheering up! Have ya heard the one about the murderous clown that escaped the Asylum and showed up ash the home of the DA who put him there? Joker shrugged, both guns still in each hand, aiming the Holiday weapon in the DA's face. "See, there's a persistent rumour round these parts that DA Dent is more that he appears to be. But there's only room for one homicidal maniac in this town. And if I hear that Happy Harvey Dent is steppin' out, I'll make sure little Gilda doesn't have to clothes-shop for hubby-hubby ever again" Joker's tone of voice changed to anger and almost jealously, he never did like competition. Joker always preferred having maniacs under his thumb, like Harley or Punchline. 

"You call that a joke?" Harvey asked, frustrated and angry. Feeling as if he could beat Joker to death at his very moment. 

"But you haven't even heard the punchline! Joker yelled standing to his feet. "It goes like this!" Joker then bashed Harvey across the face with the barrel of one of the guns. As Harvey was passing out, all he could hear was Joker laughing. To Harvey oil felt like the blink of an eye but was actually an hour, but as Harvey blinked he saw Batman standing over him. 

"Harvey" the vigilante spoke, trying to shake the DA awake. "Harvey can you hear me?" he pressed helping him to his feet. "Any idea where he was heading?" Batman asked. 

"Maroni" Harvey said, holding his head. "He'll head to the one of he only people in this city who'll deal him his toys back". 

45 Minutes Later 

Dent was right, Batman watched from afar as Maroni and one of his men threw a corpse into the back of a truck. The corpse being pale white and the face contorted into a yellow teeth showing smile. The results of Joker's laughing gas. Maroni always seemed to like dealing with the super-villains of Gotham. He'd keep whatever toys they didn't want the GCPD to find in storage, in exchange for either cash or a favour. Those favours often being 'hurt the Roman's Empire'. 

Maroni closed the doors of the truck and felt the presence of someone behind him. He reached for his gun but Batman acted quicker, twisting Maroni's arm behind his back, verging on breaking the arm Batman forced Maroni to the ground buried in the snow. 

"What happened to your friend's face Maroni?" Batman inquired, keeping the Godfather's arm in place. "Deal gone south?"

"Nothin, what happened to yours?" Maroni said, not giving the vigilante an inch of information. 

"Tell me everything he said" Batman asked coldly, pressing his knee into Maroni's neck. 

"If you get off my neck" Maroni reasoned as Batman did so. Maroni coughed slightly before picking himself up, wiping the snow away. "He was inside before we got there, took out the whole staff, poisoned the fagioli. I wasn't hungry, but uh Freddy here..." he said talking about the corpse. "I dunno, guess I'm lucky" that wasn't Joker's style. He never let anyone get off lucky, when he wanted people dead he made sure they were dead. 

"No, he let you live. Why?" Batman pressed. 

"Do I look like I know? He put a gun in my face, and told me this is his turf. And that he's cracking down on interlopers, asked where we keep that gas of his then took off" Maroni recounted, sounding more pissed than scared. 

"Maybe I should thank him" Batman injected, looked like Joker's threat had worked. As the truck was filled with more than a corpse, but weapons, drugs, Maroni was leaving this part of town just like that. All because the Joker told him to. 

"I don't know where you get off. I used to be able to make deals with the clown and the other freaks, but it seems the more of you Bats and Birds that show up. The more rowdy and crazy things seem to get" Maroni then reached into his inner pocket, and Batman grabbed his arm before Maroni could grab whatever he was reaching for. A small jingle from the inner pocket indicated they were in fact car keys, and Batman let the hand go with Maroni looking dissatisfied with the man handling. "Things used to run smoothly around here, these freaks owe me a favour, they take a bite out of Falcone and I get to expand. But now we got Legions, Secret Societies and mobsters getting weapons from freaking aliens. And worst of all a homicidal maniac skulking around the holidays hitting made men" Maroni brought out a Joker Playing Card from the corpses pocket and flung it towards Batman who caught it between his right index and middle fingers. "What's the common thread?" he asked, pondering. 

"Where is he?" Batman asked, looking from the card to the Godfather. 

"Who knows? He's a nut job. My guys at the warehouse says he stormed in, took his gas and left like it was a regular thing. But I'll tell you thins, if he's the guy killin' Falcone's men. It's only a matter of time before he gets to old Carmine himself. Maybe start there" Maroni said as he opened the drivers side door. "Not really much of a detective like ya used to be are ya?" Maroni asked looking at Batman, who had vanished moments earlier.

Falcone's Penthouse 

The Godfather of Gotham's underworld lay in his bed, sound asleep until he felt the creaking of the wooden floor. His eyes creeped open, seeing the shadow of the intruder. Slowly Carmine reached under his pillow, pulling an emergency gun and pulled the trigger several times. But nothing was fired. Joker threw the bullets on Carmines bed, having emptied them moments earlier. 

"Hello" Joker said to the crime boss, now wearing a jazzy purple and green stripped top hat. 

Moments later Joker had Carmine tied up to a chair. Gotham's Top Dog was at the Clowns mercy. Joker's new top hat was propped resting on Carmine's back. And Joker was going through Carmine's wardrobe laughing at the fashion sense of this man. 

"Navy, navy, charcoal, black. Ugh!" he sounded disgusted. "Really Care, is a splash of colour too much to ask?" Joker asked turning to the tied up crime boss. 

"Stop clowning around. If you're gonna kill me, just do it" Carmine barked, not giving into the clown or wanting to sound afraid. 

Joker gasped, utterly shocked. "Is this the face of a killer?" he asked looking himself in a nearby mirror. "I guess it is! HAHAHAHAHA" Joker laughed turning and walking towards the window that looked out over the city. "Oh relax, polpetto I'm not going to kill you. Not tonight anyway" Joker then chuckled. "It's Christmas!" he gushed. "Buuuuut someone will die tonight" Joker then leaned into Carmine and practically talking into his ear. "Probably someone close to you. Don't you want to know who's pulling the trigger?" he then backed up. "Anyhoo I just popped in to say, if you hear any news about the Holiday investigation I'd like you pass it my way" Joker then used his comically large revolver to kick the top hat up and land on his head. 

(Seriously this is smooth AF, credit to Joker, thought I'd include it)

"As a profesional courtesy" Joker said reaching into his pocket and pulling out his signature Joker Playing Card. "Here's my card!" he said licking it and sticking it on Carmine's face covering his eyes. "Buon Natale!" he said, planting a long kiss on Carmine's lips much to the crime bosses dismay. With that, Joker took his leave towards the doors. "Buon Natale" he whispered to himself. "Hoo! I kill me". 

That night, as Milos Grapa, Carmine's most trusted bodyguard and friend chased Joker out of the building attempting to kill the clown firing off several shots. He found himself outside, finding yet another Joker Playing Card. He turned around, being faced with a gun with a baby nipple on the barrel. 

Holiday Had Struck Again 

Y/N returned to his apartment, trained mentally. His eyes having bags and he looked like death even on this fine Christmas Day. But as he went to his front door, he found something on his front door. A lone red rose, the card showing it was from The Baudelaire Flower Shop. Its scent seemed to relax him. The card read:

'Merry Christmas Money Bags, From S.K' 

And the voice slithered into Y/Ns mind once again, but this time. Y/N knew it was right. 

'You Need to Finish this Relationship Now, It's Distracting You' 

"I know" Y/N whispered back, his hand almost crushing the rose. 

Author's Note

Thank You All for Reading

I'm really proud of this story so far, I'm very much enjoying writing it for you all. I hope the panic attack portion was well written, i recently suffered quite a bad one myself. And the portion describing it helped quite a bit. Anyway enough about me and my problems, next chapter or the one after that might get a little hot and heavy. 

Please Vote and Comment as it Does a Lot for my Motivation Knowing You are Reading 

Hope You Enjoyed 

See You Next Time