A/N: This is probably my only AN for this story, since I just read the guidelines.

Welcome to my new story, Just One Bad Day, based on "The Killing Joke" comic/movie.

This is going to be a short story and something to tide you over while I work on updating my other stories.

This Prologue is just a recap, but hopefully you will enjoy.


One Bad Day

Prologue

Everyone has their share bad days. Some people have it worse or tragically than others, but in the end it is still a bad day. Fortunately, the next day is usually a fresh start for most, a new day to start anew, to start fresh and a chance to make it a good day. For others such as him, it all happened because of that one very bad day. It changed his world..his life. He was like everyone else, an average joe trying to support his wife and unborn child. He had a well paying job at the chemical plant, but his heart wasn't in it. He wanted to make people laugh and smile, to make them feel good. In that kind of work, jobs like that weren't easy to obtain and he knew there were plenty of better comedians then him. He knew his wife was attempting to be supportive even though they were scraping by. But he, as a husband and soon to be father, felt like a failure...a loser.

So, one day he met up with two mobsters, he believed to be Falcone's. Falcone was one of Gotham's big players, one to not cross. He needed the money, enough to get his family out of the grimy dangerous streets and to a better safer place. Just one day, just one job. The job, the man discovered was to get the two gangster to another building, going through his old job, the chemical plant. He could certainly do that. The man would have to wear a disguise; which at the time was known as the Red Hood. The two other men assured him it was so he wouldn't be tied to them, for identity proposes only.

At that bar, at that very moment, the man's day went bad. Two police officers came into the bar, wishing to speak to man. They pulled him to the side and regretfully informed that his wife had been in a fatal accident and she wasn't likely to make it through the night. The man was devastated by the news. Losing his family..why bother doing this job then? The man tried to weasel his way out of the arrangement but to no avail. The two gangsters persuaded him with threats. Later that night, they met up at the chemical plant and entered the entered the building; they were near the vast pools of chemicals when security unexpectedly showed up. Unable to see clearly through the helmet the so called Red Hood fled upstairs, fearing he would be arrested. He just couldn't go to jail! It wasn't supposed to go this way!

The Red Hood ran onto the catwalk above the chemical vats. He breathe heavily and slowed down hearing no footsteps following in pursuit. Then a large and dark figure landed on the catwalk blocking his way. The figure was well built and dressed like a…like a…

"Bat? And I thought I was overdressed" he thought, fear consuming him as the Bat-like man straightened up to his full height and strode towards him."It ends now" the intimidating gruff voice spoke. Red Hood lifted his red gloved hands in surrender panicking. "P-please! D-don't hurt me! I didn't do anything!"

"Breaking and entering is something along with robbery. You are a wanted man, Red Hood."

"N-no! I'm not the Red Hood! I been duped and forced-" Red Hood back up and the heel of his shoe snagged on the floor length cape, causing him to slip. The railing was against the man's back for a brief second, and then it was gone. Batman leapt and attempted to grab the man's hand, to pull him to safety, but he was too late. Batman watched with remorse as the man was engulfed in a hiss of bubbling chemicals.

Little did the vigilante know that the Red Hood dressed man would become his greatest rival, his greatest failure…

What seemed like hours, the man staggered out of Gotham River. The chemicals surprisingly did not kill him. It had extremely altered him. The Red Hood helmet and cape had disintegrated. The man peered into the water barely recognizing the reflection lit up by the full moon. Green hair had replaced dull brown hair; ruby red lips had replaced normal peach lips. The red lips slowly stretched into a wide crazed grin. Snow white skin was his new skin tone. The classy suit he wore was tattered in many places. A giggle escaped the man's lips as he took in his new appearance. The giggle turned into a laugh, the laugh then turned into a hysterical full out laughter. The man continued to laugh gripping his hair with both hands, his eyes glossy and crazed.

"It looks like the joke's on me! Hahahahahahaha"

"That my friends, is how I came to be. Or so at least how I remembered it. I am the Joker and I will prove how one bad day can change a person" The Joker spoke with a sinister grin. "Oh Batsy,Fate brought us together, we are destined to be..and die together!"