Ch21
Batman and the Joker walked on, Batman feeling relieved that the path has widened again, to almost eight feet across. They can now afford to move faster. Just when he was about to suggest them finding a resting place, the ground beneath their feet, and the mountain, begins to shake.
"Watch out!" He hisses to the Joker as he pulls the man away from falling debris. "Like you care." He grumbles at the bat.
"Bats!" The Joker jumped and pushes Batman to the side as a large rock crashes through the path, knocking a large chunk of it into the abyss below.
Losing his footing between the winds and the shakes, Joker feel over the side of the ravine, his hand caught by Bruce's hand as the man leaped over just in time.
"Hi bats!" The Joker grins. "Glad you came to save me!" The ground shakes again and pieces of rock crashes into Batman's ribs and the Joker's head. Batman wobbles and nearly fall. The Joker's hand slips.
"I gotta go, bats." The Joker whispers as his blood trickle down his forehead. The 'for you' went unsaid. Before Batman can tighten his grip the clown lets go, falling down into the dark below.
His mind falters as he stands and the world tips itself in front of him. The earthquake has stopped, but his world remains dizzy.
The Joker is gone and yet Batman cannot bring himself to believe it. He yells at the void. 'How could you! How could you just let go!' Tears streams down his cheeks and he does nothing to stop it.
'How can you just let me go?' He whispers as he leans against the rock. His entire being shook. Batman feels empty without the Joker, who is always there, always with him.
In place of that man who stole everything from him and gave him everything and more is a wound. A large, gaping sore that bleeds. He picks at the wound just to feel it bleed. Just to make himself feel.
"Why?" He asks, but there is no answer, no talk of fire and chaos, no laugh. His clown is gone. He screams, facing the dark sky. The sound of his wounded cries echoed back and forth
Night falls quickly, and the skies calm down, but Bruce feels nothing but pain. He lost his energy to scream and cry to the heavens long ago.
Batman knows he should feel nothing, and even be glad that the Joker is gone (he refuses to consider the word dead). But the only emotions he can conjure up is pain and emptiness and anger.
"Why did you let go?" He whispers as he sits down on the track. He tries to laugh at himself, but can only think of the Joker. Laughing reminds him too much of him. It hurts too much to laugh. "Dammit!" He sobs again.
He stares up at the night sky. Stars litters the purple-black drapes, but he pays little notice. His mind wanders to the Joker again. It hurts to even think that name, let along say it. A sharp knife-knifes reminds him of the Joker as well-twists in his heart and he gasps at the phantom pain.
The name brought back too much memories. First meeting, first fight, first kiss. They knew each inch of each other's body from their countless encounters, and recently, a more intimate kind of fight.
He remembers every moment they have been together for in the past few weeks. And every moment they could have in the future.
He blames himself. He could have held on better, tighten his grip and heave the Joker onto the path, drag them both to safety. Overwhelming guilt joined the pain. Such feelings dominated his thoughts and he ignores the soft sting of his bruised ribs.
Batman had no sleep that night, his mind in shock of what he had just lost.
When he woke the woman stood in front of him. He struggled to pull himself up.
"I am sorry for your loss." She stated.
Batman wants to scream at her. She does not know how it felt, to be so raw and open, without his other half.
"We cannot be physically in the other worlds, so I am projecting an illusion here. You must reach the highest mountain, in the distant north. Go through the caves if you must, and you shall find what you need in the bags."
With that, the image of the woman flickers and she is gone.
Batman only realises that he referred to the Joker as his other half after she has left.
He stood up and held his hand up to the north. If he cant save the Joker, he is damn sure he will avenge him. And these people who caused the situation for them to be sent here is partially responsible for his fall.
Batman's mouth pulls into an ugly snarl as he utters one last, feral roar at the loss of his clown. Why the hell should he even listen to these people? They came out of no where and tear up his life, yet they claim that it is better for Gotham?
He will be back. Once Gotham is saved and the perpetrators punished he will have his revenge. How will you get any with that one rule? His mind whispers. He ignores it.
He picks up the Joker's bag and slings it onto his shoulder. He will not leave any reminder of him behind.
He walks, the injuries making him slow, and the increased weight on his shoulders making him slower. He knows he needs to slow down, to plan, but the weight of his loss is heavy on his mind.
Batman pushed himself up against the wall of another cave. He would need to find an open space if he wants to arrive at the tallest mountain.
If I can't have my first revenge, he curls his fists and slams them into the hard rock and thinks. Then I will have my second. He punches the walls again and again, wiping angrily at new tears with his bloodied fists.
Batman presses his forehead to the cold war, his blood smearing on his skin.
A/N: What do you think about this chapter, what should happen next. Any ideas? How do you think batsy would react the next few days?
PS I want to thank Black Raven 2539 for all the reviews!