I know it's a short one, but yeah… I had a very interesting night at work, I got the crap kicked out of me and have a very large bruise on my cheek to prove it… who knew hospital patients could be so dangerous? well, I know now... But enough about my problems… here is the next chapter… hope all of you that wanted more Joker and Alfred are happy with it :) enjoy…
-Part 9-
Not The Hero They Needed
The Joker's hand curled into a tight fist, anger evident in every fiber of his body, the only exception being the bright red permanent grin that marred his face. The batman was moving too fast, he was ruining all the fun! His purple gloves shone dully in the fluorescent glow of the dirty apartment, and for a minute he watched the bulb's reflections as they danced on the smooth leather surface. He laughed, just to hear the grating sound. It played like music to his ears, it helped him relax. He licked his lips, pulled out a pocket knife, and once again began studying the reflections, only this time in the polished surface of the blade. His dark eyes lingered on the sharp edge of the knife, the very edge that had given him his cherished smile. He stood up, the old wooden floors groaning under his weight. He cocked his head to the side, even the floors had a voice, the boards themselves chuckled as his feet tread upon them. He threw back the bolt, the door screeching, as if the metal hinges themselves were vocalizing the hostages own fears.
Alfred looked up into the face of panic and disorder. He felt fear, but not for himself. He knew that his body was old, broken in some aspects even, and that his death would be a serious blow to what ever belief Bruce still viewed in this world as good… but he was not scared to die. No, Alfred was afraid for the others, two young boys in particular, that were visible now that each of the captives had been tied to individual chairs. They were twins, and they both reminded him of a younger Bruce Wayne. He wondered silently if this experience would work its evil on them as well; Bruce had, after all, been just as innocent before his parents had been taken away. After that night, however, the boy had indeed changed, he became quiet, withdrawn, and his eyes had grown darker. The twins were terrified, unable to cower from the maniac as he walked by them; he had seen that same fear once before on the face of his young charge. It sickened him.
The Joker smiled as he reached his hand into a purple bag that had been hung precariously on a rusted nail that jutted out of the decaying wall. He pulled out a crumpled scrap of paper.
"Lucky number six, come on down… No, on second thought, I'll come to you, I can see your all tied up at the moment." The joker laughed, but quickly grew silent. "Tough crowd." He snickered as he cut the hostage labeled as number six loose from the chair. The man was large, nearly twice the width of the clown faced maniac, and from the looks of him, he wasn't going to go quietly. He swung at the Joker, who cackled at the attempt. Alfred shook his head, the Joker was enjoying it, he was toying with this person's life, it was all a game to the clown. The Joker ducked another fist, laughing uncontrollably, it had nearly hit him squarely in the nose.
"I'll make you a deal," he managed to choke out trying to suppress a snicker that threatened to over take him once more. "If you can kill me, all your little pals here," he gestured with a nod toward the other captives, his green tinted hair obscuring his eyes until he casually pushed it away, licking his lips as he did so, "walk out of here alive." "But," he continued in a sickeningly sweet sing song voice, "if you fail, I swear…you'll beg for death before the end, and tonight… I'm not feeling very generous. Option number two…" The Joker grinned, he would let this blond haired goliath choose for himself.
"You come and work for me. I have a job in mind for you. You see, I have this special meeting with an old friend coming up, and I recently found myself a little… short handed after Stanley's untimely departure." He snickered, his sly grin growing wider. "Well, what do you say. You cheat death and work for me, or you take your chances fighting for them? Let me tell you a little secret, me and my friends," He held up several small knives he had pulled out of his pockets, "we like to play rough." He smiled as the man thought it over, his eyes hungry for the answer. He needed the help, but a blood bath would be ok too… either way he knew he would come out on top. The Joker nearly let a sigh of disappointment escape his lips when the larger man bowed his head in resignation, the Joker knew he had won, but the idea of a fight to the death… was an interesting one.
"Ah, the selfishness of man kind, it never ceases to amaze me!" He cackled, and licked his lips as he stalked out of the room, he had work to do, and Batman was already ahead of the game. The man labeled as number six followed closely behind the Joker, much like a puppy on a leash. Several of the other hostages, enraged by his decision, shouted out at him as he left, calling him a traitor.
Alfred sighed as the door closed, he knew people were angry, but for some strange reason he found he bore no hatred for the man that had betrayed them. He was not the hero they needed right now, he was just another pawn that the Joker's twisted reason had been able to take unopposed. They would need a knight to take down the king of chaos himself; little did they all know that Gotham's own knight had just arrived, once again, at the city's marina, trading his cowl for the mask of a playboy billionaire.
I know short right?? But I need to ice my face and sleep right now, so I hope everyone likes it so far. Reviews please :) They would make my night so much better right now!
