This is my first attempt at writing so please feel free to leave comments, suggestions and constructive criticism. This story is based in "the Batman" cartoon universe but aspects from DC comics will be applied to certain characters and to the plot itself. The next chapter is already written and will be published next week as this will give me time to finish the story as a whole and to try and get the whole plot to flow smoothly although as I said a comment would be appreciated if you find anything in my writing that appears jarring or clumsily written.
Disclaimer;
The Batman cartoon series and all its related content belongs to WB studios, I do not own anything.
Joker sat with his back against the padding surrounding his small cell, his constant rocking causing the canvas of the straight jacket trapping his arms to creak in quiet protest. His hooded crimson eyes focused on the door opposite him as he listened to the ceaseless chattering of the many voices crawling around in the dark recesses of his crazed mind.
"all it takes is one rotten day.."
"I cant decide if you should live or die"
"what was that plan with the fish again?"
"Batsy,Batsy,Batsy,Batsy,Batsy,Batsy..."
It all was a comfort for him in a strange demented way, a constant stream of thought, planning and endless jokes whirling though his damaged brain, it's when it all stops that everything tends to become less fun, if it all quietens down then he may start to hear him again, sitting at his desk like a kid forced to sit at the back of the classroom. When the plans are forming and the party is in full swing he cant be heard over it all, but when it quietens for even an instant, the joker can hear him, shouting and sobbing, threatening and begging, so boring, so dull.
" All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy"
Most of the time Joker could block him out or simply ignore him until the others rose up again and washed his voice out with their own, after all he was only one against so many. But occasionally he couldn't be tuned out, couldn't be told to shut up and it was the drugs that made it happen.
The joker was immune to so many of the bitter pills and colourful injections that the asylum had in stock that the doctors at Arkham had been forced to scour the very back of their drug cabinets to find something that worked.
First came the needle, then came the pills and then his crazy fun little world get shut down and in the silence that followed his voice would start, hesitant at first then bolder, louder knowing that joker couldn't make him stop this time.
He hated the drugs, hated Jack and his incessant complaining always trying to convince him that they needed to stop this campaign to bring mirth and merriment to the city, stop the obsession they had with the batman, in other words all the fun activities that made this dull little world fun and exciting. It wasn't long before he could shake the drug haze off and pretty soon he knew he would become immune to them as his versatile system adapted and then the fun would start again and Jackie would be pushed back behind that little desk again to hopefully rot away.
Joker cackled to himself, his lips peeling back into a snarling grin which froze in place when he heard sounds coming from the dingy corridor outside of his cell. It was the squeak of rusty wheels and the gentle tinkle of glass bottles rocking against each other. Everything focused on the sound, the noise in his head build into a crescendo as the sound drew nearer.
"Med time!"
A grim face appeared in the barred window of the door for an instant before the sound of multiple locks being withdrawn echoed around jokers cell and he looked up, his grin still in place.
The orderly entered quickly, he couldn't remember this one but then they all looked the same in the old Arkham get up.
"up dressed up but with no loon to dance with"
the heavy reinforced rubber gauntlets, thick canvas coat and safety goggles made each arkham guard effectively strike and bite proof, you couldn't even attempt to playfully gouge out an eye or two with those damn goggles in place which made them, in jokers opinion, incredibly boring and therefore not worth remembering.
"Alright Joker, time for your medicine"
Joker tilted his head to one side slightly, this was interesting.
"but my dear flunkie, you left the meds outside"
The terms of endearment always got a reaction out of the guards which allowed the joker to at least derive a small amount of humour from their often angry response but for some reason this guard's face remained impassive as he stared down at the clown.
'whoa, tough crowd"
The guard's face suddenly tightened into a scowl "not the kind of medicine I had in mind"
his features continued to shift and the jokers eyes widened slightly as the man's face continued to slide and shift out of all proportion, everything sliding and oozing until something that only vaguely resembling a man stood over him.
"if this is another hallucination it's a damn good one!"
joker shook his head sharply, green half dreads flying about his face before he refocused on the thing before him
"either I'm crazy or your melting!"
The creature leaned forward, it's voice sounded garbled and wet, as though it was chocking on itself
"Its payback time joker, your going to suffer for making me what I am" the joker cocked his head again, this time in thought, he was pretty sure he wouldn't forget turning someone into some kind of swamp thing reject, then again..he just had to ask.
"meh I'll take what I deserve but... do I know you?"
Apparently this was the wrong thing to ask as his guest let out a roar of rage and attacked, the multiple voices chattering in his head for a moment unified with one word;
"jump!"
As the deadly fists bore down upon him.
His jump brought him straight up until he was level with the monsters head and he had time to see with amusement the look of vague surprise on its face before the pads of his feet met the cold stone of the wall and he pushed off again curling up as he fell to roll smoothly on his shoulder and back onto his feet. His opponent span and attacked again, enraged that joker had evaded him, his blows came in thick and fast as the clown ducked and weaved sometimes avoiding the danger by inches only, feeling the air displacement as another barn stormer blew past his head.
He leapt backwards to gain some room and circled as the thing paused momentarily, glaring at him from an almost featureless face. It brought its arm up again and when it brought it down again it was remoulded into a crude spear which was then pointed in his direction "to the point" one of his voices whispered causing the clown to sneer before the thing charged again quickly.
Finding himself with no room to manoeuvre the harlequin of hate threw himself onto his back feeling a slight resistance from the front of his straight jacket before, with a rending of canvas, he found his arms released from their confinement by the sharp edge of his foes weapon. His attacker had already lined up his next attack, manoeuvring the long spear downwards oveously aiming to pin him to the floor but the joker was already one move ahead, kicking out at the connecting wall of the one he was slumped against and sliding out of harms way on his back, now able to use his hands he flipped over, his eyes already taking in the open door across the room from him
"adiós amigo"
he flung himself forward and was in mid air before he realized he had misjudged his opponents speed and apparent determination.
He didn't feel pain as the blow from a spiked fist made contact with his side but, as his world slowed down and he had time to take in the fact he had been caught out by this seemingly slow foe
"heh slow foe geddit?"
he heard the faint grinding noise of three of his ribs fracturing, then his head connected with the wall he was flung against with a sickening crack.