Your Cell is Ready
Ch 33
Welcome to the City
November came and went. The civilians of New York were excited, as they always were during the Christmas holiday. Streets were flooded with people carrying packages and dragging their traumatized children from Santa's workshops. It was only a few short weeks until Christmas and the big opening of Gotham would take place on Christmas eve; meaning Joker needed to transport all of his hard work to the city. He'd already called ahead and rented out a truck, one from a large moving company. Therefore the transport wouldn't be suspicious. There was also one other thing he wanted to do. Since the tanks were so heavy and he and Gabe lacked the muscle to lift them, he would be needing the help of thugs...and two came to mind. It's been years since Joker had their help and as long as they were able to escape prison, he would utilize them. Contacting Punch and Judy would be a breeze...
After Gabriel's recovery, Joker reintroduced him to robberies, starting small of course so his son would get used to it. But as they progressed, Gabe claimed to have some memories of doing it before and it turned out that he was as good as he used to be. Picking locks, breaking combinations, etc. He did it all and appeared to be enjoying it even more.
Tonight they were finishing up a robbery in the local Lowe's for the heavy duty hinges they would need for locking the tanks in place. Joker was busy doing something in the back room while Gabe waited outside with the car. Hinges lay all over the back seat and loaded up the trunk, clanging together when he backed up the car.
"What the hell is he doing?" Gabe asked himself and settled into the driver's seat with his head leaning against the window. Twenty minutes went by and finally his father appeared out the back and jogged to the passenger door. He filed in. "What took so long?"
Joker smiled, "The store manager was being a bitch so I taught her a lesson."
"Oh...um. What'd ya do?"
"Let's just say I enjoyed it better than she did."
Gabe blinked and shook his head, "I don't think I want to know."
"No, you don't. Now drive."
"Right..." Gabe replied with a chuckle and slammed on the gas. They both took off for home where they were going to make their final adjustments to the tanks and get ready to transport them to Gotham.
The entire ride home, Gabe's mind reverted back to the text messages on his phone. He'd responded to the mystery girl Willow but never heard back after he asked who she was. Perhaps he could send another message? She seemed mighty persistent before and to be honest, he was curious about her. Something was nagging at him all throughout tonight's heist. Occasionally he saw flashes of some brunette girl and others of an older woman wearing a lovely white dress and long curly brown hair. Who was the second woman?
It was several hours later before Gabe asked Joker about the images he was having which the clown promptly told him to ignore them and they would go away. But it wasn't the case. The images would appear whenever Gabe was overworked or feeling stressed or tired. It was even worse in his dreams...
Willow had been so saddened by Gabe's sudden rejection that she decided that she would finally pursue her dream career. She knew about Gotham's reopening and the hospital would be one of many buildings in need of immediate staffing so she applied online for a nurse's assistant position. She had been called to an interview in the city two days from now and she figured that she would take advantage of her paid vacation time and spend two weeks in Gotham for the holidays. There was sure to be plenty of events to occupy her saddened mood.
Currently she was rummaging through her closet for the perfect interview outfit and pulled out a long black dress with a thick belt to wrap around her waist and a pair of one inch heeled shoes to match. She packed the dress in plastic and into a coat bag before stuffing her small suitcase with casual clothes to last the trip. She would be traveling to Gotham by train and staying in a small hotel just in the outskirts of the city. Flying terrified her and she didn't own a car, plus train rides were very scenic. The landscape would be beautiful to look at and her camera would get great shots of the mountains to place in her photo albums.
Having everything ready for her trip, she felt that she should get herself to the train station a little early.
It was crowded and the second she set foot out of her cab, she was bombarded with people scrambling to get into the station. At the same time it was exciting because there was so much joy around her. The holidays were so close and people had their arms filled with packages and luggage.
Boarding her train was easy and her seat was near the rear of the train where it was peaceful and no screaming children ran up and down the aisles. She would be traveling all night and should arrive in Gotham's new station by eight a.m. She was so relaxed listening to the humming of the train's wheels on the tracks that she finally feel asleep around ten. Her purse was tucked between her hip and the armrest; eventually causing her enough discomfort to shift. But she wound up waking herself and looked at her cell phone. It was two in the morning, meaning the train still had hours of travel ahead of it. She tried to go back to sleep but it wouldn't do any good. She was wide awake. Perhaps a coffee from the cafe car was in order.
The peppermint mocha latte was delicious. Since it was a seasonal drink, she figured she'd splurge and enjoy the drink while she searched the internet on her phone. The signal was bad, so her phone reception was slower than hell. She sighed and gave up within minutes and just resorted to rereading her text messages. Gabriel's last message was still present on her phone and she had no plans to respond to it...nor remove for some odd reason. It seemed all she could do the rest of the trip was stare at that last text and wonder what went wrong.
Willow found herself hunched over in her seat when the train finally halted at the Gotham city train station. Everyone around her was gathering up their belongings and waiting to exit. The freezing cold bit at Willow's nose the moment she stepped onto the platform. She dragged her luggage behind her and walked into the toasty warm corridors of the station and flagged down a cab. The new city was impressive; so clean and modern compared to its old self.
Her hotel room was even nicer and she obtained it for such a generous price. It was probably because the city was trying to attract visitors to get the market jump started. Well, it certainly worked because the hotel was packed. There was a large banner draped across the lobby balcony welcoming guests and inviting them to the Lighting of the Gotham Tree ceremony. This was where the city would officially open its doors to the world. Willow planned to attend as it took place just a few days after her interview.
"Ah...finally a warm bed," Willow said as she flopped onto the brand new bed. The comforter was so soft and she could literally feel the crispness of the sheets beneath it. Never been slept in. She curled her arms around the pillow and allowed her mind to wander to the evening Gabe stayed for several hours in her home and how they passed out on her couch. She imagined the pillow was him; his warm body next to hers. His strong arms holding her...
She sighed and rolled off the bed. Thinking about him would depress her again so she figured a trip out into the city would benefit her.
Gabe was camped out in the cab of the truck. His father was driving and the trip was long and silent. They had their plan to execute and Gabe wanted to take some of the downtime for himself. He had pulled the curtains closed and rifled through his coat pockets. He pulled out that small bird ornament again and studied it. Why did he have such a strong attachment to it? Why didn't he leave it behind? Staring at the bird was causing him to doze off and he began to dream...
A woman was hovering by his side and whispering in his ear...
"You lost the most important person in your life and I know it will be difficult to fill the emptiness in your heart, but I'd like to try..."
Her lips brushed against his and he embraced her kiss. Next he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close.
Gabe was shaken awake roughly and he nearly fell off the bunk. "What? What?" a startled Gabe asked.
"Move it kid, we're here," Joker said and hovered momentarily over his son. "I made a phew calls while you were out and we're meeting up with some old friends of mine."
"Who?"
"Come with me," Joker said and disappeared through the curtains.
Gabe climbed off the bunk and remembered the small bird. It was lying on the mattress near his pillow. He picked it up and pocketed it before sliding on his trench coat and putting a cowboy hat on. He followed his father out into the freezing cold and spotted two extremely oversized men. Gabe looked around the parking lot. They must be somewhere outside the city because off in the distance they could see the skyscrapers. The surrounding territory was still being built and the building nearby must be Joker's chosen hideout. Suddenly Joker's hand crashed on Gabe's shoulder and the youngster found himself being pushed towards the two associates.
"Glad to see you two were able to escape jail after all these years. Still spry as ever! Kiddo, meet my henchmen, Punch and Judy."
"Uh...hey," Gabe muttered and held out his hand to one of them. It was impossible to tell which one was which, they dressed nearly identical in dark black suits and their makeup was the same. Gabe found his hand was squashed in theirs when he greeted them with a handshake.
"Boys, this is Gabriel. My son..."
A shocked Punch and Judy were taken aback momentarily and then their faces turned to smirks, directed at their boss.
"Haha, very funny boys. One of us had to get some action in the last two decades!" Joker chuckled. He patted his son and then turned towards the truck, "Ready to get some major work done?"
Punch and Judy smiled before joining their boss on the back of the truck and they started lifting the tanks as though they weighed nothing more than an empty shoebox. No wonder Joker hired these guys.
"We have three days to plant these and then the party really begins..." Joker said cruelly; a grin slowly spread across his face. Joker then looked at his son, "Smile my boy, you're gonna love this. I have a special job for you the day of our big unveiling."
One of Gabe's brows rose with curiosity and he couldn't help but grin. It was not clear to him why he was so happy about this job...
"That's my boy!"
When Gabe joined Punch and Judy in the truck, Joker paused and peered at his son. He had hoped the kid would have been a little more enthusiastic about the job. Did the chemicals have any affect on his passive personality? Perhaps he should have left Gabe in the vat a little longer...of course...the kid would probably have drowned. Joker would have to keep an eye on him. Would Gabe be able to go through with this plan or would he crumble under the pressure? This was the ultimate test to see if the kid had truly forgotten his past and was ready to embrace the life of crime lord. Someone had to carry the 'Clown Prince of Crime' title after Joker retired. If he should retire...
After two tanks were unloaded and the rest were repositioned in the truck, Punch and Judy transported the tanks to the backs of smaller moving vans and the four of them planned to scatter across the city and plant one tank in the basement of city hall, beneath the stock exchange, two would go in the courthouse, and the other twelve would be placed along the busiest streets of the city. Anyone who smelled this gas would not know what hit them. This concoction was Joker's trademark and everyone would fall victim to it, dying of laughter. But before the gas poured into the city, Joker needed to make sure the world knew his name once again. That's where the 'Lighting of the Tree' ceremony would come in. It was to be broadcast all across the United States.
That was where Joker and his son would execute the mayor and the one who funded majority of the city's rebuilding...Mr. Wayne. Then they would gain control of the city together.
It took two and a half days to set up all of the tanks and the exhausted crew settled in the warehouse for a period of rest. Gabe was yet again scrolling through his old messages. Every time he did this, he would have a memory lapse or vision. It was reoccurring. Something was missing from his life and he was certain that girl Willow was something to do with it. He angrily shut his phone and stuffed it in his coat. Why couldn't he remember?
"God dammit! I'm getting fucking pissed!" Gabe growled and he ripped the small ornament out of his pocket. He squeezed the little dove almost to the point of breaking but then loosened his grip. He couldn't destroy it, not just yet. When he heard footsteps coming down the hall, he stuffed the bird back in his jeans and watched the door slowly open. It was Punch...or Judy, whatever...
The henchman waved for Gabe to follow, which he did and silently followed the giant towards storage. Tonight was the night...
An excited Willow walked along the shopping center with a song in heart and a huge smile. She'd made it through her interview in the passing days and she was confident that she would be taken on as a nurse in training in the coming few weeks. Her application was under review and the recruiter seemed to like her. Plus she met with the staff and took a tour of the facility. One nurse let it slip that if Willow was allowed to meet the staff this early on, then there was a high probability that she was already in the registration process. She was told she would get confirmation within the month.
Now she was happily waiting for the ceremony of Gotham to begin. The civic plaza and the streets surrounding it was congested with people. Policemen patrolled around on horseback and motorcycles, keeping the crowds in check. Willow could see the tree in the distance. Even unlit, it looked beautiful. It must have been nearly two stories tall and covered with burgundy and gold ribbons and ornaments the size of a human skull. She stared at it in awe. Dusk would be arriving soon. Her stomach growled and she decided to splurge on a caramel apple with a cup of delicious alcohol-free eggnog. There were vendors everywhere and the lines were long but worth the wait. Her apple was delicious and the nog only lasted a few minutes. She downed it like she would her own hot chocolate.
After she tossed her stick and cup in a trash bin, she heard a voice ring out over the loudspeakers, catching the crowd's attention and soon enough the people began to cheer.
'Greetings to the people of Gotham and happy holidays!'
The voice was not familiar to Willow but she heard others in the crowd mentioning the name Gordon. Apparently he was the commissioner years ago. Now he was apart of the city's council and Gotham's brand new mayor. On stage he was joined by the suave Bruce Wayne. The billionaire was still an active member of Wayne Enterprises and if not for him, the city may never have been able to recover. Unfortunately to do so, he had donated majority of his company's fortune to the project. Still, once the economy was on its feet, that money would likely be recovered. Willow had seen Wayne in the newspapers many times and she remembers her money talking about him when she was a little girl. Something about the guy being handsome and loaded. Willow laughed at the memories of her mother. Wayne was still really handsome for a gentleman in his oh...fifties and now carrying a cane.
A long speech by Gordon was given, followed up by another lengthy one from Wayne. Then a young woman was invited up on stage to assist the council with lighting the tree. The girl was probably a hired actress by the way she was dressed in a goofy elf costume.
Gordon proudly spoke into the microphone while he, Wayne, and the girl hovered over the large button resting upon a pedestal in front of the tree, "Ladies and gentlemen, it is our pleasure to reopen the city of Gotham!"
The three of them pushed the button and the great tree lit up in all of its splendor. Red and gold glittered amongst its branches and the people went wild. Couples around Willow were kissing and there was some guy nearby proposing to his girlfriend. Others were throwing their hats up into the air and confetti sprinkled down from the sky. It was very much like New York City during its new years eve party. Willow joined in with the cheering and threw a handful of snow in the air.
A few minutes of joyfulness had passed...but the glee would be short lived...
The tree suddenly turned dark again and the street lamps were flickering. Gordon and Wayne looked at each other in confusion and they spoke into the microphone to keep the crowds calm.
"Be calm citizens, it is only a hiccup in the power. The city is still under construction and that may include the electric. We'll have it under control in-"
Suddenly there was a loud cackle coming out of nowhere, confusing the crowds. People glanced in every direction, trying to find the source. Wayne and Gordon were not amused. To them this must have been some sort of sick joke. The voice sounded familiar to them, but they were certain that he was no longer around...
When the laugh echoed through the plaza again, the people grew nervous.
Gordon's brow furrowed. It had to be a coincidence.
Within seconds, a dark figure in a long brown trench coat burst out of the tree, pulling down strings of lights with it and landed on the stage. Two larger figures leapt out beside him, surprising Mr. Wayne and Gordon. When the lights repositioned on the figures, it revealed their identities.
There was a lot of screaming from the audience, particularly from the adults and elderly. The children were at a loss.
People were beginning to push and shove, trying to get out of the plaza but a booming voice rang out over the loudspeakers.
"Hold your horses people! The show's just beginning!" the Joker shouted into the microphone on the podium. His message didn't quite get across to the crowd so he threatened them when they continued to scramble, "If anyone even thinks of slipping out of the plaza, then I will trigger this!" He produced a small remote from his jacket. "This little doodad will set off a chain reaction within the city. I rigged several tanks to explode and release a very toxic chemical...some of you may be familiar with Joker gas!"
People cried and gasped but no one moved an inch once the madman made his demand. Willow was also terrified. So this was the legendary Joker. He was as scary as Gabe described. Actually, would Gabe be with Joker she wondered.
Joker snapped his fingers and this signaled Punch and Judy to take Gordon and Wayne hostage. The two older men fought back against the thugs but age was a factor and they were taken captive after a brief struggle. A defiant Wayne kicked at his captor but Joker casually strolled over and thrust his fist into the billionaire's belly, making him double over.
"How is it that you are still alive?" Wayne asked, his voice cracking with pain.
"Oh I have my ways Mr. Wayne," Joker replied. "I'm indestructible!" The clown then picked up Wayne's cane and proceeded to hitting him on the back. Wayne tumbled to his knees.
"Enough Joker!" Gordon shouted.
"Whatcha gonna do about it old man?" Joker said and tilted Gordon's head upwards with the tip of the cane.
A few police officers were rushing the stage but stopped short when a heavy dose of green clouds poured from Joker's mouth and into their faces. The spores worked their magic and the cops turned heel towards the crowds and withdrew their pistols. Any other cops that rushed the stage received the same fate.
Now that Joker had Gordon and Wayne at his mercy, he could move forward with his plan. It was time. He pulled the microphone from the podium, "Now people, I would like to introduce you to someone special."
Willow's eyes reverted back towards the stage and she wondered what was going on. However the crowd kept getting in her way and she couldn't see anything nor hear over the shouts. Joker's voice was then cut off when an object flew down past the tree and connected with the cable attached to the microphone. It lodged itself into the podium and completely cut off the speakers.
"What the?" Joker asked, surprised and he retrieved the object. "A batarang?" Joker's smile suddenly turned into a frown and he studied the weapon. It was more streamlined than the originals and appeared hi-tech. "Batsy?" Joker's eyes lifted towards the sky and a very black figure was shooting down towards the ground using nothing more than a set of gliders attached to his arms and rockets from his boots. Joker watched as the figure landed on the stage with a gentle thump and he took in the new sight. "It really is you! I would have thought you'd have retired by now! Look at you! A new outfit and new equipment...how nice. Well no matter, we can just pick up where we left off..." Joker said.
"Release Wayne and Gordon and the people of Gotham," Batman demanded.
"Wait a second, you don't sound like my old adversary."
Batman repeated his demands but found himself to be dodging a multitude of punches from Joker.
"Kid, now I know you aren't my Batsy! So the old prune did retire and left me with a rookie! That irritates the fuck out of me!"
The crowd was beginning to ignore Joker's earlier demands of staying put and several people were running for the open streets. It was pandemonium.
"Not able to prevent them from leaving, Joker slammed his finger down on the detonator and several explosions could be heard throughout the city. Gas slowly emitted into the air and Joker decided to get the job done faster, "Gabe! Do your part now!"
Gabe no longer waited for his cue and quickly leapt out of the tree, holding a broad knife.
Joker was preoccupied with fending off the new Batman and his two henchmen were still holding Wayne and Gordon still.
Something was not quite right with Gabe. He was hesitating to do the dastardly deed and assassinate the two primary figureheads of Gotham. Memories were flashing through his head. He remembered seeing this Bruce Wayne in person at some point in his life, but when? A hand flew up to his temple and he tried to block out the memories but they were flooding his thoughts. He held up the knife and approached Wayne whom glanced back at him with defiance.
Joker dodged another swing, "Kill him Gabe!"
Gabe lifted the weapon and prepared to drive the blade into Wayne's throat but then he heard the billionaire speak in a low tone.
"I can tell you don't want to do this. Don't ruin your life by following in the Joker's footsteps..."
The knife lowered a little and Gabe nearly doubled over when more memories overtook him. "Why won't this stop!" he screamed. He spun around and dropped the knife. The crowd had nearly dispersed save for a few people scattered here and there, too afraid to move. He glanced at them all, hoping to distract himself from the images. Then he saw a lone woman standing nearby an apple stand. She looked just like someone from one of his memories. He had to find out who she was and he leapt off the stage; running for the girl.
Willow screamed when some freaky looking henchman of the Joker's came sailing towards her. She found that her legs were frozen from fright. However a policeman came between her and the nutcase, finally free of the spore's control and pointed his gun towards the lunatic.
"Halt you! Put your hands in the air!" the officer shouted.
Gabriel stopped in his tracks but did not put his hands up. Instead he rolled along the ground to take cover behind a food cart and crawl away into the crowd.
Joker growled when he saw his son abandon his post and fail to murder the richest bastard in the city. With a swift kick to Batman's stomach, he gave himself enough time to dive for the knife and thrust it towards the billionaire. The knife connected with Wayne's back and split open the tender flesh, spilling blood all over the stage.
Wayne cried out in pain and fell forward with Joker along with him, making sure the blade sunk deep.
Batman didn't allow the Joker any time to do the same with Gordon and attacked the clown. "The original Batman told me all about you. I know how you work and your going to need some new tricks to take me on!"
Batman was cocky and Joker hated it. The clown yanked the knife from Wayne's back and attempted to hit the newbie Bat with it, missing.
"Judy! Punch!" Joker shouted.
The two goons were upon Batman, but like the Bat said, they needed some new tricks. He was able to fend them off and allow Gordon the time to assist Wayne to his feet and escort him off stage. Joker wouldn't allow them to leave even if it meant blowing up the entire stage. One bomb was planted below them and he set off the detonator to give himself some time to escape. He called for his goons and the three of them dashed into the crowds. Eventually they found Gabe at the rear of the plaza, awaiting them with a stolen car. Joker climbed into the passenger seat and unleashed a series of vines, each one wrapping itself around a different body part of his son. Then they slammed Gabe into the back of the car. Joker filed into the driver's side as his associates climbed in after him.
The vines were tight around Gabe's body, especially the one around Gabe's throat. He couldn't speak and he could barely breathe; an attack was beginning to brew and it was impossible for him to pull out his medicine from his pocket. He gasped for air and drew no sympathy from his father nor the goons.
Joker was seriously angry even though part of his plan was successful. He wanted to make a mark in history and make sure to leave a legacy behind if he were to die. Well, the city knew he was alive, that's good. But his son was a failure and he would pay dearly for it...
To be continued...