Hey guys Its DiabolicalINk (but you can just call me DI ;D ) anyways, I hope you enjoy the story, The Joker does not come in until next chapter, this chapter is more to fortify Jane's character so you personally as the reader will get to know her a bit more, and her habits.
I mean don't you just hate it when you read a story where the main character is all over the board and their personality always changes from stubborn to instantly in love in like half a chapter? It really annoys me, especially with antagonists (which is usually what stories I am more into hehe C; ) im sure no one in their right mind is going to be able to fall in love with a sadistic man in a day! So donotexpect that to happen in this story because I like to give time for my character to grow and realize things along the way. Sorry for ranting D:
This story will have quotes from one of my personal favorite books A Tale Of Two Cities by Charles Dickens throughout it. I absolutely love the book and was pleasantly surprised when I realized the most recent Batman movie TDNR was loosely based off of the book. If you decide to pick up the book to read it I urge you to get the full version and not the condensed one, because wouldn't you be angry as an author if you wrote a 350 page book and some butt-wipe decided to take out half of it and condense it? plus you could be missing out on a lot of good reading C: also you should keep a highlighter with you (like I did) when you read the book because there is a plethora of good quotes in it C:
p.s I love talking to people, so please comment the story or note me if you would like ^u^
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE JOKER OR ANY DC COMIC TYPE REFERENCES MADE IN THIS STORY 3
"And a gloom gathered on the scene that appeared more natural to it than sunshine." - A Tale Of Two Cities by Charles Dickens.
Jane, that is my name though not plain, just basic in the most basic of ways. My life has been a whirlwind, a rollercoaster ride if you will, with high highs and low lows, a rollercoaster that perhaps derailed straight into a hurricane.
The eye of the hurricane is where I stand, everything beautiful, the golden sun glimmering down onto my face as the birds chirp happily. I smile as the warmth caresses my pale skin rolling pleasant shivers down my spine. It was all only temporary; I knew that better than anyone else did. All around me was chaos and soon chaos would reign once again. In a degrading world such as Gotham city, chaos was all that was known. Gotham city, like a wayward son finding his way back to his mother after thinking it could survive in the utterly cruel world on its own, Chaos would gather Gotham up in a hug and would whisper sweet nothings into Gotham's ear, after all mother did know best.
I gathered up my belongings that I needed to bring home from my office making sure I had the right files before I shut off the light and closed the heavy soundproof door, locking it on my way out. As always the familiar sounds of muffled screaming greeted my ears, as if they were singing birds in the morning. All the walls in this facility were soundproof but surprisingly could not hold the screams of the most determined (or rather schizophrenic) patients.
"Hey Jane!" I almost dropped all my files alarmed when a long finger-nailed hand was placed on my shoulder. Setting a hand over my heart as if to calm it some, I turned to see my female coworker Kelly, her long blonde hair brushed over one shoulder looking beyond perfection per usual she looked like a model or something of the sort, I couldn't help but to frown at her three inch pumps, sure it was fine to look that way going out into town with your friends…or anywhere else, but as a worker at an psychiatric hospital it was sort of…well not okay.
'Hey, at least they aren't stilettos' my mind reasoned. God knows all of the uses a stiletto would make for a murderer. I laughed to myself.
"Jaane!" an impatient voice whined. I looked up to her brown eyes.
"What's up Kelly?" I asked pushing up my glasses father onto the bridge of my nose.
As I started to walk Kelly walked with me easily keeping pace with her long legs.
"The girls wanted to know if you were up for getting drinks with us tonight?" I smiled to her, heart warmed at the kind invitation.
"It's nice of you to invite be but I got work to do tonight." I pleasantly declined.
Kelly sighed frustrated at my antics as she threw up her arms I knew I was in for a long rant. "Jane! For once once I would like to see you wearing something sexy that's not a 'neutral grey' or knee length!" she said pulling at my basic suit I turned away a bit uncomfortable at the vicinity.
"I mean gawd Jane! It's like you drown yourself in work to get away from the world, you aren't an elderly woman so stop living like one! Get out, meet some men, and have some fun with your life if you even know what the word means!" she fumed her light brown eyes completely livid.
That's just how Kelly was, demanding as if everyone was supposed to run to meet her needs, as if her needs were everyone's first priority, other than Kelly's selfish and demanding antics she was a kind person who did not tolerate bad talk of her friends, she was aggressive but also unlike me she was more bark than bite, when Kelly said she was going to cut someone she was 98% of the time she was not going to follow through, in contrast when someone pushes me enough for me to give a threat, I always will follow through. No one ever pushes me that far though and no one ever expected me to get angry anyways. To them I was quiet little Jane who went through some traumatic events but came out although shyer, stronger and more willing to help the less-fortunate than ever. It was sickening, humans assume too much and question too little.
"I'm sorry-" I started but she cut me off raising her arms up then flopping them down exasperated manner.
"Wow Jane wow! It's no wonder why people here walk all over you, stand up for yourself every now and then, It's just pitiful!" Kelly then turned and walked away her long legs taking her far away down the left hallway as Jane continued to walk straight.
I let out a sigh, Kelly was right. Now-a-days I was a hermit, preferring solitude rather than people, it was just more relaxing and quiet that way, it took less out of me. Just as the main doors were in sight another voice yelled out for me. I tried not to frown in frustration, was it too much for a woman to ask to just go home?
I turned to face Roo, my baby faced male coworker which everyone swooned over, well everyone aside from me. Roo smiled wide, brushing his blonde hair out of his face, he was the epitome of sweet with his wide smile and freckled cheeks. I suppressed a frown when Roo got a bit close for comfort.
"How can I help you?" I asked through gritted teeth forcing a smile.
Roo laughed "Well can I have a cheeseburger and some fries? Just kidding Jane, loosen up a bit, we are friends after all!"
I could never remember us ever being friends my eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
"Hey I was wondering if you could do me a favor?" he asked inching in again a tad too close for comfort.
'so that's why he called me a friend'
"And what would that be?" I asked.
"If you can trade cases with me, I got this real…uh ….basket case in that I would rather not take please?" he asked holding out the manila folder to me. decision
I hesitated but then took it handing him the folder that was in my hands.
"This one is Mike Himmaler room 120 section 3" I said, He smiled wide making me cringe.
"Name, room, and section is in the folder already, thank you so much, I really owe you one!" he went to give me a hug but I backed up laughing nervously as I said my goodbye before rushing out to where my car was located.
I rushed into my car and sat down starting it up, it was getting colder and colder as the winter season arrived, it always seemed to be cold in Gotham no matter how much the sun may shine. As I drove home in my compact midnight blue Honda I humed to myself an improvised tune, it was 6:00 p.m and I was happy to be alone. Nearly a half an hour later I pulled into my house's garage, My house was a small, humble little thing which sat on the border of Gotham and a neighboring town. Someone may look at my job and my house and be baffled that someone who is one of the head psychologists of the Arkham facility has such a small house, but to tell the truth I like my house how it is, small and comfy, not to mention in the country far away from the bustling city of Gotham.
I parked my car and headed inside the small house, my cat greeting me by weaving its way between my legs as I arrived inside. I bent down and pet her, she was a sweet short haired mixed breeded cat with a cute soft meow. Coma was her name and she was pure white other than one black spot on her back, she only had one blue eye, the other completely gone leaving a concave hole where it should have been.
As I made my way to my kitchen I prepared dinner for Coma and then made my own dinner, a simple bowl of mac and cheese. Setting the plate of food down onto the Island which jutted out on the left side forming a bar type style with two tall barstools, I grabbed the paper which lay on the dining table and sat down on the barstool eating my mac-and-cheese while looking over the Gotham news paper, although I technically lived my whole life in a different town near by, ever since I moved here I always thought myself to be a citizen of Gotham because my job was located here. As I scanned over the newspaper my eyes caught sight of a familiar name 'Dr. Crane' the guy is back on the streets apparently. I chuckled to myself remembering the time when I thought he was such a good guy and a real man who was going to change the medical world of Gotham, I couldn't have been more wrong. When the marriage with my husband came to a screeching halt I thought Jonathan Crane would be the perfect husband type, so inspirational and not to mention handsome, but then he gets hauled off to the mental institution himself, ha! Irony at its finest!
I flipped through the newspaper not really finding anything of interest, batman seemed to have fallen off of the face of the planet recently, I've always felt bad for the poor bat guy. There was no way anyone could save a town like Gotham. If I ever met the infamous bat guy I'd put a hand on his shoulder and say
"Listen son, I have some things to tell you."
Like a father uncovering what really happened in the family history. But that was no longer a problem, Batman was suddenly a bad guy, which didn't really make much sense to me, I mean, this guy spends so much time and effort in saving the poor town and then suddenly just kills Harvey and runs off? No, I'm sure there is more to it than just that. But whatever, it was not like it was any of my concern. Noticing my bowl was empty I got up from my chair and washed it out and then placed it into the dishwasher. Smiling to myself I decided to take a long warm shower.
Turning on the shower I quickly took my hair out of its usual bun causing the bright cherry red waves to fall down my back, I enjoyed having dyed hair, everyone may see it as weird but seeing bright colors always made me a tad bit happy, and I decided I would do whatever I liked to my hair, moral code be damned. I then stripped down, pausing to look at myself when I was in my underwear. My body size was curvy, Kelly always told me it was a shame I kept it hidden, apparently guys would be all over me if I wore a bit more flirtatious of clothing.
I turned around shifting my red locks over my shoulder as I sighed dejectedly staring at my back. Scars riddled it, some long some short all very angry looking like an artist's masterpiece gone wrong, or rather Freddie Krueger's masterpiece gone right. I shook my head turning away from the mirror; it was too late to be thinking about my past.
Stripping myself from the rest of my clothes I entered under the gentle mist giving a small shudder enjoying the warm water as it hit my back. When I finished my shower I stepped out and wrapped the dark purple towel around my body dreading leaving the room because of the cold air. Drawing all of my courage up and the towel tighter around me, I left the bathroom. I shivered making haste for my room as Coma pattered along behind me.
I threw on some underwear an long-sleeved oversized T-shirt, then lounged across my bed I worked some dark chocolate dipped strawberry scented lotion onto my legs and arms loving the smell, it was dark and delightful (I also had the matching conditioner and shampoo set!). When the lotion dried I grabbed the nearest fur blanket and twisted it around me like a cocoon. I then made my way out to the kitchen again grabbing myself a bowl of ice cream and a glass of wine, plopping down onto the couch with Ice cream and wine in hand (which the wine I place on the coffee table) I then grabbed my book which was sitting there from the previous night.
'Manila folder you moron!' I remembered. Sighing frustrated, I got up begrudgingly and grabbed the folder from the table where I had left it, as I swung the folder into my grasp a picture fell out, the picture of my new patient. I bent down and grabbed it. When I flipped it over to see my face blanched my lips spreading in a little 'o' form.
Adorning the picture was a man with light brown, hair and eyes so dark the were obsidian. The curious thing about this man, was not the fact that he had so much hostility in his eyes they could practically kill someone, no that was usual at Arkham. It was rather the mangled scars that adorned the man's lips the scars so long they barley touched his cheek bones. The scars twisted in an eerie smile immediately giving away who he was, I would have to have been blind, deaf, and buried six feet under to miss who he was.
The joker.
The patient Roo wanted to give to me was none other than The infamous Joker.
'well, this no doubt was going to be very interesting'
I walked over to the couch with the file, looking over the picture. Once on the couch I folded my legs Indian style flipping the manila folder open looking through the contents, when I reached the endless stacks of his crimes my eyes flickered over to my wine glass.
'I'm going to need more wine.'
There was a rumor that the last psychologist he had he drove crazy, her name was like Haley or Heather, or something along those lines. Anyways the point being he was a pretty smart guy who was just as good at using psychology to tear others down as Dr. Crane was. Which means I would have to tread carefully with him.
'No wonder Roo wanted to trade….' This joker fellow is going to be quite the challenge.
I spent the next couple hours looking over his file taking mental notes of everything in it. The police files just did not make any sense, nothing did, with all the banks this guy hit up (and by 'hit up' no, I do not mean taking out money from his account, I mean him taking out money. Period.) he should be just rolling in bills, but from the looks of it he didn't seem to have all that much money, maybe he had an account in a different country or something?
That must be it, I mean what would he do with all that money, just burn it? No, even the most deranged people held onto their money with tight fists and vice grips. It seemed everyone in this God forsaken city did.
I finally put the file aside and picked up the book that was sitting next to me continuing onto the next chapter. A tale of two cities is one of my favorite books, it is so heartbreaking and dramatic and just down right interesting, the end never failing to make me drown in my own tears. As I read the book for what seemed like the 50th time I still have a love for it deep in my heart.
Around an hour later my eyes flickered to the window, It seemed to be around 9:00 pm, the wide silver moon hanging in the sky illuminating the tops of the trees. I continued reading my book, taking sips of my wine as I went. When I yawned for what felt like the fifth time I decided it was time to go to sleep, although I was usually a night owl loving the feel of the unassuming moon on my skin, enjoying the quiet hum of the night, I knew I had work to do tomorrow so I had to get up earlier than usual. As I passed the clock I noticed it was 11:00pm,
'wow I could really get lost in a book.' I mused to myself
I stretched my tired muscles before I got up from my couch taking my empty bowl of ice cream and almost empty wine glass washing them both then throwing them in the dishwasher. Walking back to my bedroom, fur blanket in hand, I could hear Coma pattering behind me as she followed. I left the door open for her as I laid the blanket across my bed, I then shut the door after she made her way inside and shut off the light laying in my queen sized bed, it was one of the few things I decided to splurge on, I loved the silk covers and the wide berth of the bed that I could sprawl on whenever I liked. I didn't really have much use for money, I saw the love of money as utterly disgusting, when people cared so much to get money no matter through what means, in Gotham many people would kill their sibling to get a few thousand, and that pure greed is something I never ever want for myself, so I decided to put half in the bank and the other half in a safe in my closet just incase there is a problem and I need to make it out of Gotham pronto, or defend myself, or stock up on food. My point being, it is much wiser to save money for emergencies later than spend on foolish things, my house was dirt cheap and I paid off all of it as soon as I could, I also did not like being in debt, it caused a bunch of other worries and problems along the road.
People were so foolish and greedy these days spending all of their money on clothes and cars and then doing anything just to get a few more dollars, it was pathetic. Utterly pathetic.
"Meow" Coma hummed curling up at my feet contently she peered up at me with her one good eye before laying her head back down. I sympathized with Coma, we both had scars, scars that were unhide-able. When anyone would get close to her eye she would hiss and run off, likewise when anyone would get close to me emotionally or physically it became fight or flight and I didn't have any other choice.
When I was confronted, I'd run.
When I was cornered, I'd be damned if I didn't fight till my last breath.
A couple years ago I used to be a whole different person, but I've changed since then, I'm not sure if better or worse but all I know is that I am still alive. And that's all that really matters to me.
that is all for this chapter C: I already have the next one written out to post next week! Comment, fave, follow, do whatever you like C: