Here it is. Chapter Nine.
Chapter Nine
At 12:01 am, my window opened. Fang looked over at me and smiled. 'Come on.'
'What?' I whispered. 'Why?'
'Because we can.'
Which, sadly, was a good enough answer for me.
We flew down to the beach the flock had sat at a couple of nights ago. A lot of things had changed since then. Like Tony knew. Iggy was fifteen. The Joker was a lot more involved. Ari was dead.
Fang liked me. And I liked him back.
'So,' he said, sitting down on one of the sandy boulders, taking off his sweatshirt and tying it around his waist, 'have a fun day?'
'Uh. It was okay.'
The zoo was the best part, shrieked the hopeless romantic inside my head.
Fang was silent. 'What happened at the restaurant?'
I shrugged. 'Nothing amazingly exciting. Angel told me what it was like inside the Joker's head.'
'She went inside the Joker's head?'
'Well, she's not really picking up everything on his mind, it's more like… well, whenever I seem to ask, she says stuff like "Dark. Angry. Scary. Confused. Red. Oh, and he really likes you, Max." All that stuff.'
'The Joker?'
'No, the telephone poll man.'
Fang shrugged. 'Mind you, it's probably pretty hard not to like you.'
I stared at him. 'What?'
Fang slipped off his boulder and flew up to mine. There we were, staring at the full moon, watching the grey clouds slip through the endless blackness.
I should post something like that on Fang's Blog. Hm.
A Poem
As I sit here, on this boulder
My head leaning on Fang's shoulder
Watching the clouds fly through the sky
Moments like these can pass you by
Fang makes a joke and I start to smile
I rub his shoulders and we sit for a while
I know this would be the greatest night
If the Joker would start leaving my mind alone!!!!
Somehow, I don't think I would post that. One, because it sickens me and two, because I wouldn't like Fang to know that I haven't been able to stop thinking about the Joker since I tried to fall asleep three hours ago.
Well, at least the Voice wasn't invading.
Fang hadn't actually told a joke and my head wasn't actually leaning on Fang's shoulder (which I'm kind of thankful for), that was just my crappy hopeless romantic who I'd found twenty minutes ago was a resident of my head.
I sighed and Fang, who put his arm around my shoulders, making the hopeless romantic go ecstatic, said, 'What's up?'
'Nothing.'
'Yeah, right: Max. I've known you for fifteen years now. I know when your thinking about the whole "absolutely horrible weapon of destruction that would destroy the world" thing. It's okay, you can tell me.'
Uh… no, I can't.
Max, the Voice said and I prepared myself for all hell to break loose inside my head, you can tell Fang. You can tell Fang anything now that your… together.
The Voice never displays any emotion but I was sure I heard sarcasm when it said 'together.'
And Fang did me the pleasure of getting it back. He kissed me again.
After three looong minutes, Fang pulled away, both of us wide-eyed. Fang grinned at me and said, 'You look kinda like your gonna faint or something.'
Which probably was going to happen. I nearly fell of the rock, but Fang grabbed me, pulling me back up and wrapping his arms around me, creating my safety. I felt like nothing could harm me (which is so horrifyingly pathetic I wanted to punch myself).
We stayed there for the rest of the night, just hugging and sitting on a boulder.
--
The next day, the flock were as bright as sunshine. We couldn't find Tony but he left a note saying he was at a business meeting for Stark Industries.
Being me, I expected that this was some note from the Erasers, trying to ruin my life until Fang showed me another note with Tony's handwriting and showed me that all the words were spelled the same.
I was about to say forgery, but Fang gave me a look that meant, 'Don't.'
'Well,' said Total, snatching Angel's bacon off her plate, 'I want to know how come last night I didn't get any pizza.'
'Cause you're a dog,' Gazzy said. 'It would've looked a little strange if we were giving pizza and garlic bread to a dog. Remember the waiter didn't even want you in there?'
'Yeah, then he saw Tony and asked for an autograph,' Iggy said, nodding.
Total flared up and said, 'Oh, because I'm a dog I can't fit in with the rest of humanity?'
'Yes,' said everyone but Angel in unison.
'It's just because he was afraid of having you in the restaurant,' she said, gathering up the little Scottie dog. 'Being so tough and all, he thought you would scare away his customers.'
I glanced at Nudge and we both tried not to laugh.
Fang stared out the window, looking not the least bit tired. I'd already had my forty minutes of REM, all our sleeping patterns are permanently screwed.
Iggy stacked all the plates in the sink and Nudge turned on the TV.
'The woman will never walk again,' the reporter was saying. I rolled my eyes. Turning on the news was like turning on the most depressing thing in the world.
'Also, a police officer confirms the Joker is out of jail,' the reporter continued and there was a crash as Iggy dropped a plate. Nudge hastily cleaned it up as a colour picture of the Joker sitting in his cell, arching an eyebrow at the camera. 'The men who accompanied him to a white van say that the last thing they saw was the Joker, handcuffed, with an Arkham professor next to him and a older man driving. The police are doing everything they can, but please let people still take precautions.' The screen flicked back to the reporter. 'Coming up next, another Arkham professor claims she knows who the Joker's parents are.'
An ad for some soap opera came on and Fang said, 'I'd actually like to watch what's coming up next.'
'We already know,' Gazzy said, confused.
'Wanna know if she does?' Fang asked, using his hollow The Twilight Zone voice.
I was staring at the TV, my anger practically vibrating off me. I hated that news report more than Ari himself. I swallowed and thought of Jeb, the man who'd fostered the flock, died and come back a few years later, joined with the whitecoats. It scared me when I realised I hated the Joker more than Jeb.
The news came back on. 'And now, the woman who claims to know the Joker's parents. Jennifer.'
The screen switched to two blond women, sitting in arm chairs. One of them was considerably prettier than the other and I recognised her as Harleen Quinzel – the Joker's mother.
'That's his mom!' I shouted, jumping over to the couch.
'Whose?' asked Angel.
'The Joker,' said Gazzy, catching on. Iggy and Nudge joined us.
'Is she gonna lie?' asked Iggy.
'Shh!' said Nudge as the reporter, Jennifer, began to speak.
'Thanks, Rob. I'm here with Harleen Quinzel, who claims to know who the Joker is and who his parents are.' Jennifer looked over at Harley. 'So, Harleen, how do you know this man?'
Harley smiled prettily and said, 'His dad was one of my friends and he let me move in. I've known him ever since he was a baby.'
'Really?' asked Jennifer, interested. 'And do you happen to know how he got those scars?'
Harley's lips trembled and I was sure she was thinking of what Jack had done to her son. 'No. I wasn't there.'
Jennifer nodded. 'Also, a question from the audience – after a story the Joker told Max Stark – oops, sorry – Max Ride, Tony Stark's daughter, this anonymous person would like to know: did the Joker have a sister?'
Harley shook her head. 'No.'
'Max!' Nudge said. 'They just mentioned you on TV!'
'At least they got your name right,' Fang said.
'Shut up,' Iggy hissed.
'All right,' said Jennifer, making it sound like she was practically going to say, 'Drum roll, please.' She shifted in her seat and said, 'Who are the Joker's parents?'
Harley swallowed and said, 'My… my husband, Jack Napier and me.'
People in the audience were screaming in amazement and anger.
'Bet Jack didn't want her to say that,' I said coldly.
'Probably not,' Fang said. 'Won't be surprised if she has scars by next Tuesday.'
Jennifer was too stunned to even ask, 'What's his real name?' or something like that: she just sat there, open mouthed, and staring over at the pretty woman who looked amazingly frightened.
'I'm sorry,' she said to the camera, close to tears. I didn't know if she was talking to Jack or the Joker. 'I'm so, so sorry.'
The screen changed back to Rob, who didn't say anything for a moment, then, 'I hope that woman has excellent security.' He didn't say it sarcastically, either.
--
Harley ran out the back door, gulping for air. She couldn't breathe, she was terrified. Mr J would be so angry. He'd told her to say it was her friends, no involvement of them whatsoever… but she couldn't help it. She didn't want to do that to her son… if he cared at all…
Harley ran down an alleyway and tripped, grazing her knees and hands. She had tears running down her face and she whispered, 'I'm just as crazy as both of them. I'm so… so…'
'Insecure?' someone behind her said and she turned around to see the Joker, leaning against a wall.
'I…'
'Oh, and by the way, I'm not… crazy,' the Joker growled, walking over to her. Harley saw him chew on his scars for a second then say, 'I think you'd be better off if you didn't go home tonight. Unless you want, y'know…' He pointed to his scars. 'These.'
Harley blinked. 'I'm his wife. Jack wouldn't do that to me.'
'Uh-huh. I'm his son. I'm actually related to him. And your not actually his wife, and he's not your husband, you're not married,' the Joker added, starting to walk away.
'I'm still your mother,' Harley said, feeling broken as her son walked away.
The Joker turned and glared at her. Harley swallowed visibly and he said, 'Like I said, don't go home. And I'm not joking, here.'
--
'Oh, my God,' Nudge said for the thirtieth time. 'His mom is so pretty.'
'Makes you wonder how it's possible,' said Total, shaking his head.
I sighed and looked around. The news was now talking about lung cancer and so on, but I was thinking other things. Like I was actually worried about Harley.
'D'you guys think we should try and help Harley?' Iggy asked cautiously.
'What's the point?' I asked. 'Either Jack's looking for her or the Joker is. Jack's got a lot of guys, he could find her easily… and thanks but no thanks, I don't need another meeting with the Joker.'
Angel looked over at me curiously. 'What about that dream last night –?' My eyes widened and everyone turned towards me.
'Max had a dream about the Joker?' Total chortled.
'Oh, God,' said Iggy. 'He had a shirt on, right?'
'You sicken me,' I said, staring at him.
Fang looked over at me and I shook my head hastily. 'No, actually, I didn't have a dream about the Joker, thank you.'
Fang relaxed and ran a hand through his hair. I swallowed and pushed the dream from my mind.
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