A second ago, eveything was in its normal, bustling rhythm in Gotham City. A mixture of taxis and cars moved together on the streets and business people who chose not to take that tranportation bustled on the sidewalks. Keevra Avryn and Charlotte Carlyle were on their way to enter Wayne Tech. They had gotten jobs there a few days ago and today was their first day. Charlotte was busily chatting away to Keevra Avryn's ear, something about a Arkham Asylum breakout when the rythm around them broke.

Gun shots fired off out of the blue, bullets found their way to targets, panic immediately raged through like a virus. On instinct Keevra dropped onto the ground, covering her head with her hands. A second later, Keevra looked up to see the source of this madness. And who was in control of this madness?

"Joker," Keevra said.

Keevra watched the Joker parade around the area with a AK-47 craddled in his arms, firing off shots every other step. He was wearing a Arkham Asylum orange jumpsuit and his creepy white face makeup. Beside her body she felt Charlotte's prescence. Good. She wasn't standing up to where she could be hit. Keevra waited for the Joker to turn around before she nudged Charlotte to get up so that they could get away from here.

"Charlotte?" Keevra whispered. "Are you okay?"

Charlotte didn't reply.

"Charlotte?" Keevra repeated, starting to panic.

No reply.

Keevra turned Charlotte over. Keevra choked on air as she saw that her childhood friend, Charlotte Carlyle was dead. Charlotte's terrified chocolate brown eyes stared at her, her mouth opened wide. The bullet that had murdered Charlotte had went right through her heart, killing her instantly. A blossom of blood was expanding on her white blouse. Keevra felt herself trembling in sadness? Anger? Shock? All three? Keevra pulled Charlotte's body into her arms as though she was holding a small child. A minute ago Charlotte had been walking, talking, breathing. . . alive. Now she was dead. All because of that monster, the Joker.

Keevra tried telling herself that this wasn't happening. Charlotte wasn't dead. Keevra was telling herself that this all just a nightmare, she had fallen alseep last night watching the news. This is why she was dreaming all of this. Charlotte was alive. . . she was just sleeping. All Keevra had to do was wake her up. . .

So she slapped Charlotte's cheeks over and over until a voice inside her mind screamed,

"Charlotte's DEAD!"

"No. . . "Keevra sputtered over and over again at the voice screaming in her mind. "Get out of my mind!"

"But she is dead," voice said to her.

The voice was right. Charlotte Carlyle was dead.

"Oh God. . . This isn't happening. . . Not Charlotte. . . Oh God. . . " Keevra whispered as she felt tears trail down her face. Keevra jumped when she heard a sinister voice above her drawled,

"Hellooooo. Why the long face?"

Towering over her with a knife in his hand was the Joker, his scars smiling at her. The Joker must have ditched the firearm. The Joker waved at Keeva with his knife hand. It was like he was greeting an old friend instead of one of his countless victims. Keevra glared at the Joker. She hated everything about him. She hated his purple and green suit, she hated his twisted scar, and most of all she hated the calmness of his tone.

The Joker knelt down beside Keevra, he put the knife to her throat while he was inspecting Charlotte's corpse. All Keevra wanted to do was pounce him and cause him as much suffering as she could felt right then. After inspecting his handiwork, the Joker stood back up and said with mock-concern,

"Does your friend seem. . . a little dead to you?"

Rage coursed throughout Keevra's body, filling every vain, every cell, every thought in her body. She didn't know until then how much rage existed in this world. Calmly, Keevra placed Charlotte's body off of her lap and onto the cold cement. Keevra stood up, facing the Joker, curling her hands into fists. Keevra was short compared to the Joker, she only came up to the Joker's nose.

"You!" Keevra snarled, her tone dripping with pure hatred. "You did this!" Keevra pointed to Charlotte's outstretched body on the cement.

The Joker pointed to himself on his chest with a finger.

"Moi?" The Joker said sarcastically. He held his hands in a-I-didn't-do-it way. "I never laid a finger on her."

"No," Keevra spat. "You killed her."

The Joker just shook his head and turned on his heel, walking away from the scene. Keevra didn't stop him, her thoughts were too scrambled. Before the Joker turned on a corner she heard the Joker called over his shoulder,

"Where's your Batman now?"

The Joker added with a laugh: "HA! HA! HA! HA! HA!"

Keevra dropped to her knees, temporarily defeated by this monster. The Joker had a point though, where was Batman?

Author's Note:

Hey guys! I hope you like the beginning of this story :D

Please tell me what you think so far! :D

- Norah Strike

PS for those of you wondering, don't worry about me not posting the rest of it because it is completely finished I just have to post it :D