The LEGO Batman Movie Junior Novel

by Jeanette Lane

  The Joker lifted the Phantom Zone Projector and took a moment to survey the room through its viewfinder. His gaze came to rest on young Dick Grayson.

  “Get away from him, you petty criminal!” said Batman. “Hold on, Robin! I’m coming for you!”

  “Robin?” Dick said, realizing it was the first time Batman had called him that.

  The rest of Batman’s team had entered the core room, and they were piling out of their vehicles. They, too, had weapons raised. Their weapons were aimed at the Joker, and they were swarming in.

  Seeing his chance, Batman wrapped a grappling hook around a high beam, retracted the cord, and shot straight up in order to cut Dick free. “I gotcha,” Batman said. He grabbed his son and held him tight until they were both back on solid ground.

  Once they had landed, Batman pulled Dick even closer. “You okay, buddy? Come here. You all right?”

  “Yeah, yeah, I’m okay,” Dick said, feeling the warmth of his dad’s hand on his shoulder.

  “Great, how you feeling?”

  “Good,” Dick responded, sensing his dad was hinting at something.

  “You ready to do something cool?”

  “Yeah! Always!” Dick confirmed.

  “Great!” Batman responded, looking Dick in the eye. “You and me. Stay by my side.”

  Dick felt the excitement swell in his chest. This was really happening!

  “We’re about to do some super-hero-sidekick stuff,” Batman explained. “It’s just too bad you didn’t bring your costu—”

  RIP! With a quick tear, Dick revealed that he still had his costume on under his clothes.

  “Incredible showmanship, kid,” Batman said. “Okay, Robin. Together we’re going to punch these guys so hard, words describing the impacts will spontaneously materialize in the air. And we’re going to do it to the greatest fight song ever written. Now let’s have some fun!”

  On cue, a horn-heavy fight song began to blast over the Batmobile’s speakers. The father-and-son duo began to blast the Rogue battalion. POW! BAM! SMASH! KAPOW! WHAM! SPLAT!

  Together, they took out the bad guys. And they did it with smiles on their faces.

  Meanwhile, Barbara Gordon was still circling above the plant. From the Batwing, she could see many of her police officers, members of the Batman team, staking out positions on the roof. She was waiting for her moment. Her instincts told her that the Joker would attempt an escape from the chaos. She was sure that he’d appear through the roof hatch any minute now.

  “All right, team,” Barbara said when she saw the hatch open. “Let’s shut them down!”

  She hit the EJECT button and shot out of the plane, landing on the energy-plant roof. She found herself face-to-face with the Joker. He was holding the Phantom Zone Projector.

  “Joker,” Barbara said, “we have you surrounded.”

  But as soon as Barbara approached him, the Joker tossed the projector to Harley Quinn. When Barbara took a step toward Harley, she passed it to Catwoman.

  The Rogues were like a bunch of football players passing the projector back and forth.

  Barbara knew there wasn’t time for a game of catch. There was a bomb tick, tick, ticking below. So she pulled out her ultradeluxe titanium grappling hook. When Catwoman set up for the next Rogue pass, Barbara threw her grappling hook like a lasso and reined in the Phantom Zone Projector. Interception!

  But Barbara didn’t have a chance to use the projector before Poison Ivy charged at her.

  “Give it to me or I’ll blow you a kiss,” the toxic villain threatened.

  “Into the core room,” Barbara shouted to her teammates. “Follow me!”

  Now it was the good guys’ turn to play “pass the projector.” As they descended the stairs to the ground floor of the energy plant, they threw the projector from one to another. Their moves were like basketball stars, with long reaches and spin fakes. One team member lobbed the projector up, and another leaped high to claim it.

  “Get it back, you fools!” demanded the Joker as the group joined the messy battle on the Gotham City Energy Plant floor.

  Batman and Dick were still doing double duty, fighting four Rogues together. Dick was attempting to wear down Croc by snaking under his legs and hitting him from behind while Batman pounded Croc and Bane alternately.

  Alfred had joined in the projector hot potato.

  “What about the bomb?” Barbara yelled to Batman.

  “No time yet,” Batman replied.

  “I’ll do it!” Dick volunteered, and he scampered up the pyramid of explosives before anyone could intervene. “I always fixed the Internet and cable at the orphanage,” he called from the top of the mound of dynamite.

  There wasn’t a second to spare. The timer on the detonator was at 00:59. Dick knelt down and investigated the wires, which didn’t look nearly as bad as the administrators’ phone-charging station.

  The Joker wanted the projector back, and he wanted it back NOW! He tossed insults at the Rogues every time the Bat Team tossed the projector.

  “Alfred, catch!” Barbara yelled as the device whizzed through the air.

  Alfred got nervous when Kite Man swooped down toward him. “Batman!” he yelled, hurtling the projector at the Caped Crusader.

  Batman dodged a power-packed punch from Bane to snatch the projector.

  The Joker charged him. “That’s mine,” the Joker declared.

  “Uh, no,” Batman replied. “Technically, this belongs to Superman.” He turned to Barbara, and then stepped aside so she could take his place before the Joker. “And technically, you belong in Arkham Asylum.”

  Barbara pulled a pair of handcuffs out of her Utility Belt. “Joker, you have the right to remain silent …” she began, cuffing the Joker.

  Batman winked at the Joker. “Gotcha,” he said.

  “I got it!” Dick called out from the top of the bomb tower. “And there were still two seconds left! No pressure at all.” He raised his arms in victory and then slid down the pile of explosives.

  Alfred, Barbara, Batman, and Dick hugged and shared high fives with the other members of the Bat Team. They’d done it!

  Barbara and the police force began rounding up the Rogues. Within moments, they were lined up behind the Joker, ready for their return trip to Arkham Asylum.

  Batman looked at the Phantom Zone Projector in his hands and smiled ruefully. He knew what he had to do.

  He tucked the projector under his arm and crossed to the other side of the room.

  “Dad, where’re you going?” Dick called after him.

  “I have to return this,” Batman tried to explain. “To Superman.”

  “Then I’ll go with you,” Dick insisted, looking up at his dad’s chiseled face. “Just like old times.”

  “I’m sorry, son,” Batman replied, putting his hand on Dick’s shoulder. “I have to do this alone.”

  “Dad Two! Please!” Dick begged.

  “Call me—” Batman paused and removed his mask. “Dads.”

  Dick was excited and confused. “My two dads are the same dad!!!!” he cried. “But they’re both leaving.” The realization nearly crushed him.

  Batman could see how scared Dick was at the thought of losing him again. He leaned down and looked his son in the eye. “It’s going to be okay, kid,” Batman promised. “Sometimes people need some time alone. Sometimes they need to do something on their own. But that doesn’t mean that they don’t need other people, too. Some very wise people taught me that.” He glanced up at Alfred and Barbara and smiled.

  Dick took those words in and held them close. Then he looked up at his dad one last time … and hugged him as hard as he could.

  Batman hugged him back. “You know what our superpower is? It’s our family.”

  He picked up the projector. “Good luck, Barbara. I know you’ll be the commissioner Gotham City needs.”

  Barbara smiled wistfully. “Thanks, Batman. I’ll work with the whole department to look after Gotham City while you’re go
ne.”

  “So long, Alfred,” Batman said. “I’ll see you soon.”

  Batman nodded at the man who had cared for Bruce Wayne and Batman for so many years. Then he took off for the Fortress of Solitude.

  A short while later, in the Wayne Manor kitchen …

  “What are we all looking at?” Batman asked.

  “Dad!” cried Dick.

  “Crime-fighting partner!” cried Barbara.

  “Son!” cried Alfred.

  Alfred, Barbara, and Dick all beamed at Batman.

  “Reverse smoke bomb!” Batman said jokingly, because, instead of disappearing after a smoke bomb, he had mysteriously appeared. “Ha ha ha ha,” he chuckled. “I kind of love surprising you guys. It’s become my thing.”

  “Welcome home!” the members of his Batman family greeted him.

  “That didn’t take long at all,” Dick said with relief.

  “Well, yeah. Superman wasn’t feeling all that chatty,” Batman admitted.

  He stood there for a moment, taking it all in. Who knew that opening up your home—and your heart—to other people could make you feel safer, more complete?

  “What are we going to do now, Barbara?” he asked.

  “Rebuild the city, I guess,” she answered.

  “Together,” stated Batman. “That’s a great idea.”

  “But first, how about we eat?” Alfred suggested. “I’ve prepared a complete menu for us all. The main course is Lobster Thermidor.”

  “My favorite,” said Batman.

  “This is great, guys,” Dick said, looking around the table. “I’ve always wanted to have a family dinner.”

  “It sure is, Dick,” Barbara agreed.

  “You know what they say, Master Dick,” Alfred added. “‘The family that dines together, fights crime together.’ Am I right?”

  “You’re right, Alfred. Cheers.” Batman raised his glass. He raised it to that moment and all the other small moments that make up family life. He raised it to the photo of his new family he would add to the Wayne Family Gallery. He raised it to dinner at the table and movie nights in the den. And then he raised his glass a little higher, this time, to having three smart, skilled, and brave teammates to help in the constant battle to keep Gotham City safe.

  Cheers!

  I’m Batman, and I’m here to tell you all about how I saved Gotham City from the Joker’s biggest plot ever. I also made a whole bunch of new friends along the way.

  It all started when the Joker attacked the Gotham City Energy Plant. I defeated him for like the millionth time … and he got a little bummed out when I told him he wasn’t my greatest enemy.

  I went home to hang out in the Batcave with Alfred, my butler and father figure.

  Alfred reminded me that I’d said I’d go to a retirement party for Jim Gordon, Gotham City’s Police Commissioner. I got to show off my new threads!

  At the party, my alter ego, Bruce Wayne, met this orphan, Dick Grayson. The kid was so cool, Bruce ended up adopting him!

  Then the mayor introduced us to the new police commissioner, Barbara Gordon.

  That’s when the Joker and his Rogues burst into the party. This was a job for Batman!

  Barbara Gordon wanted to put the Joker in Arkham Asylum. But I knew about a better place for him—a prison called the Phantom Zone.

  But first, I had to get the Phantom Zone Projector—and I needed a little help from my new son to get it.

  The Joker’s plan was a bit more complicated than I thought. I had to get a little help to stop him.

  Working together, we took down the Joker!

  Copyright © 2017 DC Comics, WBEI, & The LEGO Group. THE LEGO® BATMAN MOVIE © & ™ DC Comics, Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc., & The LEGO Group. LEGO, the LEGO logo, the Minifigure and the Brick and Knob configurations are trademarks and/or copyrights of the LEGO Group. © 2017 The LEGO Group. BATMAN and all related characters and elements © & ™ DC Comics. All Rights Reserved. (s17)

  Published by Scholastic Inc., Publishers since 1920. SCHOLASTIC and associated logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Scholastic Inc.

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  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  First printing 2017

  e-ISBN 978-1-338-13529-9

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