Disclaimer: Batman and all related characters are trademarks
of DC Comics. No intentional copyright infringement is intended through their
use.
Note: This is probably one of the worst stories I have ever
written. So go ahead and laugh.
A Sun In The Night
By Casey Toh
Gotham City. A
City of Opportunities. A Land of Despair. The Most Dangerous City In The World.
Every night, hundreds of things happen as I watch, and even when I don't.
He stood before
me now, a living shadow within shadows, as if the darkness was him, and he was
darkness. Before him, a man he and I both hated to the core laid on his side,
bounded by monofilament, his shrill laugh ringing in my ears.
"Jim," he said.
I could only nod
in response; so great my relief was that the Joker had been caught. Just a few
hours earlier, the Joker had somehow escaped from Arkham, going on a killing
spree, not that he didn't murder many in his saner states.
I had called him
on it, and as I gaze at him now, I finally understood…
***
We saw him for a
couple of minutes on our neighbor's roof, just standing there and scanning the
neighborhood. He was a stark silhouette against the moon's bright glare, a
phantom on our river of billowing curtains.
The ten o'clock
news had just ended with a warning from the Commissioner that the Joker had
escaped, and everyone was to be careful and keep the doors locked, and…
"Ted, close the
windows and latch them," I told my husband, voice shaky. "The Joker, he might
be—"
…my heart froze
as images of the criminal flashed through my mind. I knew that if the Joker
wanted in, no way was a locked door and latched windows going to keep
him out. Both of us knew that.
"Honey," he
said. "We know that there's no protection against the Joker but him."
We rose from the
couch and walked over to the windows, parting the curtains to latch the
windows. I was going crazy with fear. I had my children to think of. I had my
retired parents to feed. I had—
"Honey, look."
Ted's voice interrupted my frenzied thoughts and I looked up.
His eyes
caught my wide ones, and I was certain, Ted's. I froze, hypnotized by them, by
the warmth they held, by their assurance. I never thought it would be like
this.
As if he had
read my thoughts, he nodded, and was gone.
Ted and I shut
the windows and redrew the curtains, staring at each other and smiling. I had
contemplated leaving Gotham many times, afraid of the high crime rates, but Ted
had always insisted on staying.
Now I know why I
will never leave Gotham.
***
I was certain I
was going to die. There was no doubt in my mind concerning that notion. But oh
God! I was too young to die!
My back met with
resistance and my palms pressed against it. A wall! Oh God, why did there have
to be a wall? No, no, don't come closer!
The three guys
did, one holding a knife, the other two swinging bats. Could I make a run for
it? No, can't. Trapped. There must be something, someone…
"Help!" I
screamed.
They just
grinned cruelly, showing their yellow, crooked teeth. Oh shit, I was dog-meat
for sure. Those teeth would sink into my flesh, pull me apart chunk by chunk…
Then, he
came. Right in front of me; his cloak billowing to either side of him as if
forming an impenetrable wall. Protecting me.
There were
noises made by the three, grunts, screams and groans, and when he moved, I saw
that they were out cold. Their weapons laid on the ground, now harmless.
I was saved! By
God! I never thought I would come so close to being killed, but I was saved!
Alive! Unharmed!
He looked
at me, nodded, and moved away. Gone, in less than a second, like a phantom.
My heart beat
again. "Thank you," I whispered, certain that the belated sentiment was not
heard.
But I had a
feeling it was felt.
***
My hand trembled
as I passed the box to another. This had to go right, or everything would be
lost. Surprisingly, I heard myself snap steadily, "Move it, people!"
I could already
feel the bucks I would get for these. It was just amazing how much money people
would pay for drugs, but what the hey? It's not my business if they wanna die.
It was my business to get rich.
Then, there was
a whirring noise. The second it took me to identify what it was, two of my men
went down. Near them, another who was partly in the shadows collapsed as he was
knocked out.
"Get 'im!" I
screamed.
But it was too
late. Before I had even completed the two-words order, all of my seven men were
incapacitated. I drew my revolver out, hearing the rhythm of my heart in my
ears. I was gonna be ready for him. I was gonna kill him. I was gonna—
"Argh!" Pain
started at the base of my skull and traveled to my head. The last thing I
brought with me as darkness closed all around was hatred. Pure, unadulterated
hatred.
***
"Noooo!" I
screamed. "My little girl!" This couldn't be happening. This shouldn't be
happening! The fire! It was going to burn my daughter!
"Let me in!" I
tried to push past the barricade of a firefighter. I wanted my girl! She
couldn't leave me like this! Those idiots didn't understand!
"I'm sorry,
sir," the man blocking me said. "The fire's too big. We cannot take the chance.
I'm sorry." As if to emphasize his words, there was an explosion and flames
shot out of the only window that hadn't been burnt.
I felt tears. My
little girl was gone! No! It couldn't be! It just couldn—
"Sir! Look!"
I didn't want to
look. My only daughter was gone! What was there to look?
"Sir!"
This time, I did
look. A figure clad in black leapt out from the window—the window to the room
where my little girl was. It landed sure-footedly, and I saw who was in his
arms when his cloak parted.
"Jenny!" I
dashed forward and scooped her up in my arms. Her small body gave me warmth.
The night suddenly seemed brighter, lighter.
"Daddy!"
Through my
tears, I saw him gazing at us with an unreadable expression on his face. I
nodded in gratitude, throat too dry for more words. I thought I saw the barest
hint of a smile before he left.
***
"I'd itsy-bitsy tear
your heart out!" He threatened.
"I dare you!"
That came out shakier than he thought.
I stared on, not
daring to catch the Joker's attention. There were so many people in the train.
Why did he have to choose my grandmother of all people?
Johnny was trying to defend us, but I knew he
couldn't. However good a black belt in karate he was, the Joker was a madman,
capable of any act.
Possibly finding
that Johnny was too much of a bore, he said in a mad tone, "You didn't scream,
kid, and for that, the old granny gets it."
Before my
horrified eyes, he took a gun out. Bang! Beside me, my grandmother gave a gasp,
doubled over, and hit the floor before I could do anything.
"No." That
couldn't be grandma on the floor. "No!"
The tears
wouldn't come. I didn't know why. Grandma was gone. I should be crying. She was
the only family I had.
"Joker."
That voice. I
looked up, and there he was, holding the murderer by his lapels, having
decked him. His stance, strong; his tone, cold; his face, impassive.
I hated him
right then. I hated him far more than the Joker! I hated him for not stopping
the madman sooner! He! He was the cause of grandma's death! Why didn't he
arrive sooner? I wanted him to pay!
"You murderer!"
I screamed, lunging for him. I wanted to tear him apart! I wanted him to pay!
He dropped the
limp body of the Joker and grabbed my wrists, keeping me at arm's length. I
didn't care. I kicked him in the crotch. He didn't move, didn't even wince. His
suit must be shock-absorbent.
"I'm sorry."
I almost didn't
catch that, too low and too soft to be heard over my screams of pain. Those
words, filled with so much guilt, so much sadness, so much…pain, coming from
him. It was as if he mourned with me for grandma…as if he knew her personally.
"I'm sorry," he
whispered again, releasing me. The pain coming from him, so much more intense.
The sorrow, evident in his eyes.
And I finally
understood; finally understood why he didn't arrive sooner. He couldn't. Much
as catching the Joker was his goal, for one he couldn't save, two died.
I crumpled to
the floor, one hand on grandma's body, another covering my eyes. I didn't want
anyone to see my eyes. I didn't want him to see my eyes.
I felt his
gloved hand on my shoulder, so gentle, so soft.
And I cried,
both for grandma, and for him.
***
…why I remained
in Gotham. After all these years, I've finally got it.
I look into his
eyes now and I see them shining. The old lady in the train. He hadn't been able
to save her. He blames himself for it. He blames himself for every single life
he hadn't been able to save.
He has his
reasons, I know. His watch spreads over the entire city. If, just for the
Joker, he ignored other crimes, more lives would die, more people would suffer
than was necessary. He couldn't work for the good of any individual. He could
only strive for the whole of Gotham.
I understood
that, knew that I would do the same thing. The man was an evil who wielded his
own demons for the good of Gotham, to battle his own kind. It was a war of one
against many. It was a war that was lost even before it was fought. It was a
war he could never win.
But he fought
on, as did I. Many times, when I felt like giving up, I'd think of him. Many
times, when I felt like abandoning Gotham to the only man keeping the city from
ripping itself apart, I'd think of him.
I couldn't
leave, not now, not ever. Nowhere in any other parts of the world would I even catch
a glimpse of the friendship we shared now, the trust, the dedication.
I looked at
Gotham, I saw pain, hurt, sadness and defeat.
I looked at
Batman, and saw hope.
