A thin shriek cut the
air, and made the Joker look across quickly. He pinned his attacker
to the ground and saw his lover disappear over the edge of the multi
storey building. Quickly shooting the man who had tackled him, and
the man who had pushed Jonathan, the Joker scrambled for the stairs,
almost tripping up several times. "Johnny, oh Johnny…Shit
no…please…" he whispered as he sprinted out of a door on to
another flight of stairs. He tripped, tumbled, but picked himself up,
and burst out of a door at the bottom of the building. He
saw a small shadow on the pavement, and ran to Jonathan, kneeling
beside him. "Jonathan? Johnny, can you hear me?" he whispered,
taking his lover's broken hand. The small man's eyes fluttered
open. "Johnny?"
"J…Joker? Please. Don't let go. I'm
scared..."
"Don't be Jonathan. I'm here. I'm not going
anywhere."
"I'm scared of dying."
"Shh. Don't be."
The Joker looked over Jonathan's body, his other arm and one leg
were at awkward angles and he hadn't moved any; his back and spine
were crushed. The Joker felt a strange sensation on his face, it
tickled slightly and his vision was fuzzy.
"Joker…are you
crying?" The Joker gasped; he was. Tears dripped on to
Jonathan, making him smile weakly. The Joker quickly wiped them away,
staining his hands with face paint.
"I…I'm scared too
Johnny. I don't want you to leave me."
"I'm
trying not to Joker…But I want you to know…I love you. I don't
want to die, but I'm going to, I know. I can't feel anything but
cold…"
"Don't say that! Don't you dare talk like
that Jonathan Crane."
"Joker…please…for once. Be serious.
Promise me something."
"Anything" He wasn't bothering to
wipe his eyes any more, and white and red spots of face paint were
falling on to Jonathan.
"Promise you'll take care of
yourself? Get over me? Find a new love?"
"Don't flatter
yourself…Get over you? You think you're special…" The Joker
broke off, he couldn't laugh, and he let out a high pitched
wail.
"Promise me Joker…" Jonathan gasped urgently, his
breathing becoming more laboured.
"Yes. I
promise."
"Please…don't be too sad. I love you…for
ever…hold me."
"But I'll break you…" Joker picked
Jonathan up, and pulled him as close as he dared. Jonathan's
breathing became even less noticeable, so the Joker laid him down
again gently, and stroked his pale face. "Promise…I love you…"
Jonathan's eyes dulled and he breathed in one last time. His chest
did not fall again. His hand went limp in the Joker's, and his head
lolled to one side. The Joker bit his lip, and gently closed
Jonathan's eyelids, letting his screams fill the alleyway.
