A/N: we will start to learn a bit more about Peach. just little nibbles of info. I had planned to post this one on Monday but the ever faithful QueenMarie1345 made me decide to post this today. Hopefully updates will continue to be every Thursday. XoXo
~At slow speed, we all seem focused,
In motion we all seem wrong~
~Alien Ant Farm~
He returned to the apartment after he was sure she had left. The thoughts in his head were scattered and confused. When he stepped inside, he was happy to find the building empty. He had some work to do before he got down to his homecoming party he was planning. There were a lot of small things to prepare before the big scheme would be ready to go. He would have to invest time and money into this one, luckily for him he was in abundance of both at the moment.
He paced the small apartment, the repetition calming his body so his mind could think a bit clearer. He ticked through the things going right now. His lawyer was getting the park for him, which was the easiest, and biggest, part. The rest would mostly be his job. He needed to get ahold of Ace. He could get the manpower going for this.
Joker hated to admit it, but needed that damned phone. He was pretty sure he'd left it upstairs. He stopped pacing and looked at his ceiling. His shoulders drooped and he moved to get the gift from her apartment. He stomped up the stairs and turned to face her door. He knew she wasn't in there. He had no reason to hesitate. The fact that he did made the rage boil in his belly. He moved to the door and tried the knob. It was locked. He chuckled to himself, where was the trust?
He reached for the thin blade in his pocket and jimmied the door open rather easily. The blade slid between the jamb and the door. One good tap and ta-da! Open door. He pushed lightly on the door and listened to the squeaky hinge. He stepped into the small space and looked around. Lucky for him she kept a tidy place.
He moved to the bedroom and looked quickly. There on the nightstand was the phone. He walked over and grabbed it. He slipped the phone into his pocket and turned to leave. He wasn't planning on snooping, honest. But she had so few items in the room. No personal things really. Nothing on the walls, no girly decorations. He smiled. His eyes moved to the small desk that sat against the wall. That, he noted, was a mess. It looked highly out of place in the clean room.
He walked over to see what his girl was into now a days. The top was lined with books. He ran his fingers along the spines. These were school books? The kid was smart. She had Calculus, Chemistry, Physical Science, even Statistics and Creative Writing. Neat. He moved to the drawers, the first one held candy. Tons of sugary goodness. He reached in and grabbed a handful, tucking them into his pocket. He moved to the next and laughed.
She had several ID's. All with different ages, names and hair colors. They looked professional. He was impressed. He shuffled through them. Vivian Jones, Boring. Brittany Evans, sheesh. He cringed at the picture, she did not make a cute redhead. Sheila Douglas, not bad. Harleen Quinzel. He paused, what kind of name was that? He tossed the ID's back into the drawer.
There was an envelope in the back of the drawer, it held a nice chunk of cash. Smart girl. He put everything back and closed the drawer. The last drawer was full of newspaper clippings and articles on him. Most of them were before his first stint at Arkham. He smiled. Those were the fun times. He closed the drawer. His girl had been busy, busy, busy.
He was on a roll now, he couldn't help but continue to look around. He moved to the closet and shuffled through the clothes. Her clothes were hung up, by color. He cringed at the order and neatness. No item was out of place. There was a shelf with shoes paired up neatly. He had the urge to move everything. He giggled as he switched the clothing. He hoped she would see the fun in it, he moved her shoes. Hiding a few right shoes leaving the closet in disarray. He moved to the bathroom. It was a mess. He smiled. She had make up everywhere. Smudged on the counter and mirror. Toppled deodorant sticks and used make up wipes. He chuckled and opened the top drawer by the sink.
Mixed in with small tubs of face cream was tins of his grease paint. He smiled at the thought of her getting all painted up. He shut the drawer and turned to leave. He suddenly felt very panicked. He hurried out of her small apartment. He moved to his own place and sat on the bed. His pulse calmed after a few minutes. He started to look through the phone and smiled.
In the contacts was two numbers, hers and Ace's. He pressed the phone symbol next to Ace's name. It rang twice when he picked up.
"Boss?"
"Ace, meet me at the warehouse." He paused. "We need to catch up on some things." He hung up.
He looked at the phone, he decided to call his lawyer to make sure things were good there. The receptionist picked up.
"It's Mr. White." He said after her short greeting.
"One moment please." Then he heard awful elevator type music.
"Mr. White. Glad you called. Everything is in order. I got the park at a steal. The city was happy to get rid of it. The paperwork should be finished before the end of the week."
"Perfect. That's what I like to hear. I'll get ahold of you when I am ready to get the place up and running, hmm." he said. "Tootles." He added before hanging up the phone.
He loved cutting calls short. Had to keep people on their toes. He chuckled as he moved to the bathroom, pulling out his own grease paint from the drawer. After getting his face put on, moved to the car, time to get his to do list, well, done.
He drove fast, and free. He swerved and cut people off. The honking and rude gesture made him feel at home. The drive seemed to be over too soon. He parked his car and moved into the warehouse. He trotted up to his office and started working. He had so much to do. He had gotten the map and blueprints of the park. They were spread across his desk at the moment.
He had made a few notes for changes he would like to make, though most of the original stuff would stay. He chewed the edge of his scar as he worked. When Ace arrived it was a needed distraction. He folded the blueprints to the side of the desk and smiled as the large man put a bag on his desk and a large soda next to it.
This was why Ace had lasted so long with him. He was smart. Joker tore into the burger that waited for him and drank the sugary soda. Joker hate that he had a sweet tooth. He enjoyed the sweets a bit too much. He tried not to indulge too often. He thought of the stolen candy in his pocket. He refused to become a fat, lazy statistic, he had a city to conquer. The burn from the carbonated beverage was heavenly.
With that business out of the way, Joker turned back to Ace. Joker looked at the man sitting across the desk from him. Joker liked Ace, he did his job, and took orders well. They had been in cahoots for years. Joker cracked his neck, the pop sending a relief of the pressure that formed there regularly.
"Well, Boss, what did we need to catch up on?" he asked.
Joker smiled. "I've had an idea, it came to me in a dream, and it was bea-utiful." He leaned back in the squeaky chair. "I have started the wheels in motion. But we all need to do our own parts." He looked at the man.
Ace nodded. Joker continued.
"We will need men. Expendable men. Not saying they will die, but you know, anything's possible. Let's say thirty-ish?" he paused and leaned forward. "I have a big welcome back party planned." He said in a loud whisper.
Ace chuckled. "Of course you do."
Joker put his elbows on the desk. He steepled his hands. The business like gesture looked ridiculous on the paint covered man.
"We both know I have been out of it for the last few years, I need to know what I missed." Joker's face had become serious.
Ace didn't make a sound.
"Relax, I just want the general idea, If I need details I'll ask."
Ace swallowed nervously and then spoke. "Where should I start?"
Joker thought about that for a second. "You made it back here, after. Start there."
Joker watched as Ace visibly relaxed. "I came back like you said. When It was time to do the meet up, you hadn't made it back. I met with the buyer. I put the guns away and the money in the safe."
Joker hadn't even checked the safe, this was why Ace was the best.
"Good, business is business. Guns, wherever, and money in the safe, got it." Joker motioned for him to continue.
"Yea, minus my cut, it should all be there." Joker nodded his approval.
"A few of the guys came and went. After a few days the girl showed up. She was in a panic. The city was still a bit hectic and she didn't know what to do. She said you told her to go home and wait. She said she was tired of waiting and went on a rampage through the warehouse looking for you." Ace paused.
Joker was pleased to see she had listened. Ace continued. "She finally saw on the news you had been captured and taken to Arkham. She came by almost every day. I helped her as much as she would let me. Which wasn't much. She's very stubborn."
Joker laughed at that. It was one of her best features.
"Finally a few years ago, she actually asked for help. I was shocked, but called in all the favors I could to get her what she wanted. Just a few fake ID's and I helped her get her actual birth certificate." Ace watched Joker closely. Trying to read his mood.
"You did good, is that all?" he asked.
"I helped her get her GED and enroll in school. That was the last favor she asked for. She's been working the system all on her own now." He said looking almost proud.
Joker sneered. He didn't like that she was doing things. He didn't like the independent Peach. He felt his mood start to sour. Damn her. "What happened to the two tanks of the toxin I had in the workshop?" Joker asked abruptly.
Ace looked confused, "Last time I checked they were in there." He said.
"Well. They. Are. Not. There." he spat out each word like bits of poison.
Ace looked slightly ill. "Relax, relax, I'm not accusing you of taking them." He reassured his guy.
Ace visibly relaxed, "Who do you think took it?"
Joker smiled, "Well, if it wasn't me," He pointed to his chest. "And it wasn't you." He pointed at Ace. "Who else has had access to the warehouse?" hmm?" he watched as the realization hit Ace like a brick.
"You think the girl took it?" he sounded shocked.
"Maybe." Joker laughed, "It's what I would have done in her place." He said.
"What would she be doing with the Toxin?" Ace asked.
"Now that is the question of the hour." Joker said standing.
Ace stood as well, "I'll go get started recruiting. It shouldn't take too long to find some guys. A lot of people are hard up for cash."
Joker waved the man away, "Do what you need to do."
Ace left the Joker alone in his office. He put away the blueprints and threw out his garbage. The next hour or so, he spent using his phone to find all kinds of info. The internet was a brilliant place. The human race was moronic, putting all of their info out there for whomever to find.
He was interrupted from his research but that obnoxious sound from his phone. He found the message from the girl. It infuriated him. It was a simple message. 'I will be out late.' Like he needed to know. He was not her keeper anymore. Obviously. He moved to leave the warehouse.
The drive home only worsened his mood. He was basically alone on the stretch of highway. And most people in the narrows were already safely tucked into their shitty little houses and apartments. Joker parked his car and went back to his room. He put the phone on the bed and stripped out of his clothes. He quickly showered, scrubbing his face clean of the paint.
He had to lay low until the right time. A few sighting were fine, but he didn't need to advertise yet. He needed to walk off the extra energy he felt moving through him. He dressed in plain jeans and a ratty t shirt. He pulled a black hoodie on and a beanie over his bright green hair. He grabbed his favorite knife and, unfortunately, the damned phone and hit the road.
He walked, no real destination in mind. Just a walk through his favorite city. He noticed the traffic had picked up a bit, and more people walking the streets. He made it a point to bump into people and generally just agitate the crowd. He was sorely disappointed, everyone gave a grumbled 'excuse me' or just ignored him completely. He started to look at the flow of people. It took less than a minute to see the problem. They had all of their attention on the screens in their faces. Almost every person, attached to the phones they held. Some talked with headphones tethering them to the device. Some took pictures of themselves. There were even small children in strollers, eyes glued to the screens in front of them.
It was like a zombie apocalypse. This would not do. Maybe he needed to cause a bit of anonymous trouble until his big surprise was ready. He wondered if his tech guy was still around. He'd ask Ace later. He moved to the side of a building and sat on the dirty pavement.
He watched the people, he was, of course, ignored by most. The upper class of Gothamites, walked by the homeless. Ignoring the poverty as if would make it go away. Joker chuckled at the sight. Ah, Humanity, the most inhumane entity, stepping over the downtrodden to get a better view, a better job, a better car.
The smell of hypocrisy is what drove him to try to level the playing field. He killed and maimed without prejudice. Rich, poor, it didn't matter. He wanted to show them all, show them that they were all in the same cesspool of a civilization. All just as depraved as the villains they all loved to hate.
He'd gotten himself all worked up again. The city, she just knows how to press his buttons. He stood up and started to walk again, letting his feet take him wherever. When he started to pay attention again, he was in a dirtier side of town. The buildings were dark and the neon signs were gaudy.
He laughed as a sign caught his eye. 'The Grin and Bare it.' Sounded neat. He walked his way over and pushed the door open. He was in a small room, a large guy sat by the other door. Joker could hear the muffled music through the other door. The large man spoke.
"Ten dollar cover and a two drink minimum." He said without looking up from his newspaper. Joker smiled. He paid the money and was buzzed through the door. Joker walked through the door and found a small unoccupied table. He looked around, not able to stop the small chuckles that bubbled up. The place was a girlie bar.
There were three stages with girls in different stages of undress. The dimly lit room was pretty full. The seats closest to the stage had men packed in like sardines. Joker watched as a tiny waitress in short shorts and a frilly bra type of top came up to his table.
"What can I get you to drink?" she asked.
"Two shots of whatever shitty tequila you have." He said.
The girl walked off to the bar and placed the order. Joker's gaze moved back to the crowd. He wasn't sure how so many men were trapped in whatever fantasy was playing in their heads. They paid to see tits. He could use his new phone to see tits for free. He found that out accidentally when he was figuring out how to use it earlier.
The girl put the two shots on the table. Joker gave her a wadded up hundred dollar bill. "Don't bother me again and you can keep the change."
"Sure." She said grabbing the money and turning to leave him alone.
Joker drank the two shots quickly and sat back to check the place out. There were two cameras that he could see. A lot of muscle at the doors and near the backstage area. He tapped his fingers on the table, the rhythm not to the song playing overhead.
He watched the girl on the largest of the three stages. She swayed and gyrated to the music. Her eyes looked far from reality. The men waving their cash to trying to get her attention. Hey eyes only locked on the green-gray of the money. The larger the bill the closer you could get. Amazing what people do for money.
Joker absently chewed the inside of his cheek. The skin there raw from the attention. He frowned. The name of the place had pulled him in. The sound of it had such potential. It was just another den of depravity and weakness. He was moving to leave when a large man in black stepped up to him.
"You the Joker?" he asked.
Joker looked up at the man. Typical bouncer type. Joker smiled. "At your service." He said.
"The boss wants to talk to you." The man turned and walked away.
Joker guessed he was supposed to follow. He decided to go with it, could end up being fun. He followed the man to the door he had noticed earlier. The man had waited at the door for him to catch up. Once he had, the man opened the door, letting Joker through.
He instantly kicked into high alert. The room seemed empty. He glance around as the door was shut behind him. It was a nice large office, a wall of monitors sat behind the desk. There were at least 15 cameras through the club. He stepped forward and was shocked by what was happening in a few of the rooms. Naughty, Naughty. He may have been out of the game for a while, but he was pretty sure that wasn't 'dancing'.
The door against the other wall opened, drawing his attention from the screens. For the first time in a while Joker was speechless.