Don't Be ShyI felt the pain in my head come to me like a truck had hit me. I tried to open my eyes but as I flutter open my eyes the bright light filled them causing me to close them again. I tried to move my hands to my head and that's when I noticed they were tied down. I then attempted to stand again same results. The room I was in felt cold. I again tried to open my eyes. The room was bright. It took several minutes for my eyes to adjust. That's when I noticed the bright light was merely a lamp pointed right at me. How did I get here? I couldn't remember much. My head wouldn't stop spinning. I felt a wave of nausea hit me as I had to hold it down.
After several more minutes had past I started to take in more of the room. The black blobs finally taking in shape. The room was dark despite the one source of light pointed right at me.
I looked down and that's when I could see I was tied down by wires. My writs were cut up. Must have been from me moving in my unconsciousness. A sound of laughter filled the room.
I glanced around and finally noticed a person had been sitting in front of me. The more I stared at him the more of his features I could take in. It didn't take me long to figure out who he was. I couldn't help but smirk slightly. After all it was a rare occasion he of all people would get the better of me like this.
His bright purple hair finally coming clear in the darkness. The bright green suit he always wore showing through the dark. His purple under shirt to match the ridiculous of his look. He moved closer to me.
"It's about time you have awoken Owlsie." He giggled. It only caused the scars on the sides of his mouth to disfigure into a horrible grin. What could I say I did good work on that.
"So what's the Joke this time?" I asked very bored by the scenario.
He shook his head and gave as much as he could muster of a frown.
"No Joke this time Owls. No joke." He sounded more apathetic than usual.
I just stared at him. I glanced around the room to notice he had taken away my utility belt. My gadgets were spread out on the table. That's very unfortunate for me at this moment.
"Then what are you planning? Waiting for the police or something? How very bland Jokester. Running out of ideas?" I felt a slap across my face. That's when I finally realized my helmet had been taken off. Now as much as I was trying to push his buttons that action of his alone filled me with anger.
He grinned at me then as he brushed some of his purple hair from his pale make upped face.
His contact bright green eyes stared into my light brown for several minutes. This was already starting to anger me. My biggest mistake was not killing this man when I had the chance.
"There's no police coming. No joke this time. No great show. Just a simple conversation between old friends." He smiled as he walked behind me and put his gloved hands on my shoulders. I tried to shake him off. He only laughed in return.
After a few minutes of silence between us he clapped his hands with over enthusiasms.
"Right. Shall we start then?" He laughed as he danced back to his chair in front of me humming a tone out loud. He really was very ridiculous. How Gotham could ever in trust their protection from me in this mad man only fuelled my actions even more.
He took a seat in front of me. Grinning wide as he crossed his legs.
"Now since we have finally seen each other's true faces let's begin."
"What are you getting at?" I glared. I never liked anyone taking off my helmet especially not a simpleton like this clown.
He sighed.
"You know what caused my bad day Owlsie. After all you are the one who introduced me to the joke." He laughed loudly.
"Boy was that the day. You brutally murdered my good friend Harley then gave me these." He pointed to the scars on his mouth.
"That's when I finally got the joke. I really do owe it all to you. You made me the happy soul that I am. So I have made it my life's goal to thank you for that." He smiled and patted my leg.
I glared at him deeply. I will leave him more than just that permanent smile of his this time.
He smiled then sighed as he ran his hand through that purple hair of his.
"But you see owls. The show gets tiring after a while. I mean I love being the audience to yours and bird brats show but still. Like a child who collects baseball cards to learn about their favorite player. I am feeling emptier with each wonderful show. Don't get me wrong I love watching you perform, but it's about time I finally find out the truth about my favorite star. I am your biggest fan after all."
I stayed silent. He had to be kidding. Why in the world would I ever tell this unintelligent clown anything?
"Then you will be disappointed." I said simply shaking my head. That action only caused more nausea to come.
Laughter filled the room.
"You haven't disappointed me yet. Though Owls you really wouldn't want your buddies of yours or other criminals seeing you in such a predicament as you're already in?"
I glared deeply at that. I was a master of black mail and now this clown was deciding to try and black mail me.
"It really doesn't matter what made me, me." I answered.
He scooted the chair closer to me.
"Oh owlsie. It does matter. That you just haven't seen yet." He smiled with what seemed like true care in his eyes.
I shook my head.
"That's where you will always be long Jokester. Nothing and I mean nothing matters. My past doesn't matter, neither does yours. You are always going on about the bigger joke. Here's the Joke, Jokester. You don't matter. I don't matter. No one has or ever will matter."
Another slap to my face.
"You're wrong Owls!" He seemed truly angry for a moment before it faded just as quick.
"After all these years you still don't get the joke. I pity you for that." He shook his head.
I was someone no one should ever try and pity. Next time I will cut that tongue out.
He giggled.
"You see Owl." He moved even closer to me as he rested his elbows on my knees. I glared deeply.
"You are the one who created the joke. I know it I have known it since that faithful day you taught it to me. And boy! Was it the best joke I have ever heard."
More laughter filled the room.
"I lost my sanity then. You know that better than anyone. Though you should know what that's like"
"I'm not insane." I stated simply.
His laughter was his reply.
"That's too much Owlsie. What sane person would dress up like a giant bird every night? That's the point. I know I'm insane, you don't. It really does upset me sometimes and as you know not much upsets me. Let's face it sure I love going out every night and ruining yours and the little birdy's nights. I love ridiculing you in any way I can Owl-babe." He grinned big at my disgusted face.
I hated when he would act like that. It most likely was the reason he liked to do it.
"Here's the thing. You tell me what caused you your bad day and no one will ever know the predator of Gotham city was never in this predicament." He smiled waiting for my response.
What did it really matter telling him? It was more of an annoyance. He was always an annoyance for me.
"You know Jokester I am going to kill you for this." I stated with a matter of fact way.
He laughed and hit his knee.
"No you won't. You would be bored without me. That's why you found hero's am I right? Rising up in the Gotham underground kept you from boredom for a long time. Though that didn't last did it? No I think not. That's why you never kill me. You have had many times to. I'm sure even wanted to many times. I sure do get under your skin. The point Owlsie is our show will go on and on until I either kill you or you kill me. Though if I have it my way you will finally hang up that costume of yours. Or you lose your mind. That would be even more fun!"
I hated the way he thought he knew me. He never would. True I do fund vigilantes to keep my entertainment. That's not a lie. Though him thinking we were the same. No we weren't. I was more intelligent and perfected my skills for years. I worked my way up the ladder. He was just a comedian who decided to push his luck with me one night and he paid for it. We were not the same. There was nothing special. He was more of a nuisance than anything else to me.
"Come on Owlsie. Tell me about your one bad day." He sounded like he was pleading.
I sighed.
"It's a simple story. My father didn't go into for questioning. An insane officer took it out on him for it by shooting my younger brother and mother in front of me. I managed to escape with what you would consider a low life, for me he was my idol growing up. He took care of me. Taught me the ways of the street. Soon I learned my father was alive. So I trained myself even more. Becoming the man you see before you now. I have devoted my entire life to destroying that man and he has devoted his life in killing me. It doesn't matter. There's no big secret. No hidden agenda to my actions. Everything I do is what I was predestined to become since the sound of a gunshot destroyed my old way of live. I became something even more as you already know. There's really not much to the story. Just a child who had to see his mother and younger brother die by the selfish actions of the man who promised to protect them. That's all." I finished and the room stayed silent for a long moment.
He traced the O insignia on my chest plate in silence. Then slowly laughter erupted from him starting as first as a silent chuckle into gut wrenching laughter.
I stayed silent. I had already almost freed my legs without him noticing.
"You know Owlsie we are so much a like it's even funnier now. Just think about it. My whole reason of existence is exactly the same as yours! Revenge! It's really the best joke ever! It truly shows how I was right all along!"
"What are you getting at?" Almost free.
He got up then and walked behind me and wrapped his arms around me.
"I hate you for what you did to me. You hate Commissioner Wayne for creating you. It's exactly the same. We are who we are for the simple fact we want to destroy our creators. It shows how much as the ones who gave us that one bad day mean to us. It truly shows. That we are both stuck in a never ending show. Our own stage that we can never leave. How as much as we both don't want to admit we need the ones we hate for making us become who we are. That's the joke! It's all irony! The show will always go on my dear bird. You may think nothing matters yet the one thing you hate, your father has made your entire existence worth living. I live to ruin you for well." He pulled the sides of my mouth up.
"Giving me my permanent smile." He said in a bitter sweet way. He moved his hands away from my mouth and stood in front of me.
"Next time Owlsie don't be shy. I'm your audience, you're the performer. I'm the only one who truly understands you. Only you and I now get the greatest joke ever told. So don't be shy." He laughed and tapped my cheek. He turned around and without looking back he waved his hand at me goodbye.
"Until our next show." With that he kept walking and took his leave.
I kicked myself free and spent the next 3 minutes completely freeing myself and grapping my things. I put on my helmet.
This was not how I planed the night to go. Though could that clown be right? We were similar. At least in the reasons of why we do the things we do. It is all for revenge.
No. We aren't. We are at different levels. He was the court Jester. I was the king. He was my prey in the night. I was the predator that swooped down and carried him away to his fate. Still I couldn't help but chuckle at the irony of his and our lives.
I think this is the only time the Jokester has actually told a funny joke.