Another long lonely night, just me and my coffee cup..
I looked down at the murky brown liquid. I wasn't really certain why I always insisted on having the uber fancy flavored shit. It's not like I would actually drink the stuff. I only bought the stuff to warm my hands from the biting chill of winter. Black coffee was just as warm as java mocha chip with extra whip and cinnamon.. And a hell of a lot less expensive… Maybe I just missed the smell… Maybe I was becoming a real masochist, just like the books all say..
"Looks like he's at it again.."
I glanced up from my mug of untouched overly priced, overly sweetened coffee, silently tuning in on a conversation taking place behind me.
From out of the corner of my eye, I could see two burly looking men looking up at the small TV set up on the wall. I already knew what it would show, so I turned back to my drink, inhaling the sweet scent. Yup. Masochist…
The screen would flashed to a smoky, destruction ridden scene. A building was in ruins. Then the picture of the ghastly looking culprit would be shown. Even monotones of grey, black, and white, the man's garish features were unavoidable: white face paint, coal black eyes, and an elongated smile that practically stretched from ear to ear, literally.
There was no question of whom the man was referring to.
The second man grunted resignedly, "What's he done this time…?"
The first sighed heavily. "Blew up the community college library.. We heard the blast not 10 minutes ago.. Killed a couple people, but at least one survived. Poor kid's in a coma…"
Finally, I spoke up. "Won't anyone stop him?" my voice soft and neutral, but both men turned to look at me. My eyes were still glued to the small ceramic mug in my hands, and I didn't meet their gazes.
The second man scoffed "Won't," he repeated with bitter scorn, "More like can't. And no. No one can stop him." he replied angrily, jutting his angular chin at the screen.
At this, a small, near non-existent smile graced my features. "Oh really?" I asked faintly as I stood, bitter amusement coloring my tone.
As I walked to the bar, the men looked me once over. I knew what they would see: my short cropped black hair, my alabaster skin, my delicate features, my petite figure. How assuming men could be.
Smirks grew on their faces. I paid my bill for the still untouched coffee.
As I turned and stepped into the light, I tried my best not to revel in the moment when the smirks fell off those men's faces..
My own smile only grew as my eyes flashed in the semi darkness of the cafe.
"We'll just have to see about that."
End prolog.
It was pure selfishness.
I knew I shouldn't be doing this.
I knew their would be consequences.
I knew who I could and would hurt.
I knew I would put everything I held dear in jeopardy.
I knew all this, and yet, I didn't care.
So I kept on walking, a stranger in the milling crowds of innocents. I kept my head and eyes down, lest I be recognized for who and what I really was and cause a massive uproar of panic and terror.
As I walked and broke away from the crowds, the newly fallen snow sloshed beneath my feet. I raised my head to the sky, watching the tiny flakes of frozen water fall silently towards the ground, through the dingy shaft of light given off from the street lamp. The flakes were white and pure. I glanced downward towards my feet again, where the slush was brown and dingy with the sins of the city. Then back up towards the endless brown of the sky once more.
"This city destroys everything.." I murmured to my self as the white flakes caught on my face and eyelashes, like memories I fought to repress.
Faces swam before my eyes, some frozen, screaming in silent agony, others in terror, but some smiling warmly.
With my resolve hardened like tempered steel, I continued on.
Until I heard the scream. Then I knew I had come far enough.
Silently, like a shadow, I came upon a familiar scene.
Some poor soul was in the clutches of some big bad, this time a young girl, barely in her 20's it seemed, with platinum blond hair, fair skin, turned red from a blow to the face, and bright blue eyes, made even brighter with the sheen of terror… She was pinned against the wall, by her delicate looking throat. How typical.
Those sky blue orbs were darting about wildly, anywhere but his face. Those fathomless dark eyes you could loose your self in, and there was not doubt that you would, in the end, only to find your self in a place worse than hell.
"Look at me, sweetie. Look right at me." he purred darkly, running his leather clad fingers down the girl's flushed face, "I don't want you lookin' anywhere but here, doll-face. Cuz I wanna tell you a story.."
This must've meant something, because the girl started crying and squirming now, moaning "Please, oh please, God no. Please.. Don't do this.."
He caught her by the chin and gently, oh so gently 'shhh-ed' her, then with a 'click' and a flash of silver, he pushed a wicked looking switchblade into her mouth, jutting against her cheek, with a trickle of ruby-red liquid running down her straining face. "Aww, doncha' wanna hear my story?" he whispered lightly, in mock hurt as he edged the knife a little bit farther into her mouth, which caused more blood to flow.
That's when I stepped in.
"Looks like you're having fun."
The Joker's head whipped back, his dark eyes searching the shadows for me. It was the girl though, who spotted me first.
"MMMMMGHHHHNNN!" she cried at me as I stepped out of the shadows once more. Her excitement dimmed however when she got a good look at me. The Joker's excitement however, escalated.
"Oooh. And just who might you be?" he cooedin his liltingly nasal voice. He removed neither his grip on the girl, nor his grip on his switchblade. His cherry red lips received a flash of pink from his forked tongue.
I didn't bother answering him, "You should let her go, you know. It'll just make things a lot harder for you." I muttered as I examined my long glistening fingernails in the dim streetlight.
At this, the Joker let out a high pitched devil's giggle. "Oh? And I suppose you're the one who's gonna ma-ake me? I hate to break it to ya, kid, but you're a b-it outta your league." he informed me with a grin as wicked looking as his switchblade.
A sardonic smile tugged at the corner of my mouth. "You aren't listening to me." I stated stepping further into the light, as I dropped my hand to my side. "You should really just let her go… It ain't worth the trouble." I continued in an amused tone.
"I think I'll just have to take that, uh, risk." the maniacal clown answered with a mock thoughtful expression on his garish features, as he turned back towards the helpless girl in his arms.
A bittersweet smile bloomed on my face, brandishing my sharpened fangs as my eyes began to blaze in the darkness.
"As you wish."