Descent into madness
The Joker's Perspective:
I knock on the door of the 'Smiles and Skies' nightclub, stupid and ironic name for a nightclub but my hired professional told me this is where I'd find her.
No reply. Rude, they didn't open the door for me, after all it was my party. Who doesn't invite someone to their own party?
I open the door.
There she is. Remind me to kill my hired professional later, they were way too accurate when they said that she'd be here.
"Mistah J?" Harley asked, squinting to see if her psycho boyfriend really did just walk into this building.
And yet, here I was.
"It's rude you didn't invite me, you know I love parties. Especially when the bat is invited. Come to think of it...why was the bat invited and not me?" I asked suspiciously.
Harley attempted to run at me at full force, but Batman held her back. I expected her to be angry, but yet I'm not the villain right now.
"I'm assuming you're the one who's been tormenting me and...Catwoman with your god awful poems?" I said, pulling my revolver from the holster and raising it towards Max's head. "I don't like being made a fool. Why tell a joke if everyone's in on the joke? And if you don't understand the joke then truly...you are the fool and not me."
"Joker...why are you here?" Batman asked.
No surprise he'd want to interrogate me for turning up here unannounced, but I didn't have to explain myself to him.
And I wasn't going to.
"To bring some FUN to this party!" I shouted, pulling the trigger and shooting 'Maxwell Wright' straight in the head.
The bullet travelled through his skull and killed him instantly.
Batman looked at me, I wasn't sure if he wanted to kill me or thrash the living daylight out of me for what I just did.
His reasoning was beyond me, I saw an asshole and I killed him. Simple.
"He's...dead?...But that's...that's impossible. XOS made him invincible." Ivy said slowly, she was confused.
"The effect of the chemical wore off, it seems." Selina stated.
"That doesn't excuse what you just did..." Batman said angrily.
"Whatever, I came here for Harley. You know...I actually preferred it when you didn't bring hundreds of cops here, made my entrance more pleasurable maybe but someone has to clean the mess up outside now." I said, laughing.
The cops raised their guns at me. Unbelievable...
"You should've seen the mess at my place that this idiot made. That was way worse." I said, pointing at the dead body of Maxwell Wright.
"I gotta know...why did ya come and find me? You left me ta die you good fer nothin' pale-faced creep! I'm gonna hurt you so bad an' then you'll just lie there an' jus' die like you left me ta do!" Harley said angrily.
"Harley, one thing at a time..." Ivy said, placing her hand on Harley's shoulder.
"Remember what I said, J? Play nicely together." Selina added.
"Yeah yeah...but if I were you, I'd lower your weapons. Right about now."
The power blacked out.
My laughter echoed in the darkness.
Bullets were fired, many bullets. Not sure who or what they were trying to hit, but I knew they ended up killing each other. All of the police officers were now dead. How could I see? I stole some night-vision gadget from the bat.
Batman was disorientated without his night-vision gadgets, he let go of Harley and tried to manoeuvre through the pitch black auction room.
I sneaked up behind Harley and put my hand over her mouth and dragged her into the cell-block.
I removed my hand from her mouth and embraced her. She didn't know who was hugging her right now.
"Who...Who is it?" she asked nervously.
"It's me. You're safe now, Harley." I whispered.
She wanted to scream, so I put my hand back over her mouth to avoid her screaming the place down.
"Shhh, don't worry. It's OK. I'm not going to hurt you." I told her reassuringly.
She relaxed and put her arms around me. I removed my hand from her mouth.
She elbowed me in the chest and ran out through the door screaming.
Of course...
But this was what I wanted. It starts with her hating me, then she'll come to fall in love with me again. Just like every other time.
The lights turned back on. Hmmph...from pitch black to blinding light.
I walked back out to the auction room, no point being in the cell-block anymore. I was trying to be secret and careful but I see that approach isn't working. So, my good friend Jerome will help me out.
Jerome Wright, also known as Maxwell Wright's brother. He always hated his brother, he didn't actually want me to kill him, but he won't be morning his death.
It's complicated, his brother tried to copy him and blah blah blah he wasn't happy so wanted him dead, he was too much of a goody two-shoes to actually kill him though, he just resorted to leaving creepy messages on walls until I taught him everything he now knows.
Mentor? Nah, let's call it a temporary alliance.
"J, what are we doing with these pathetic low-lives?" Jerome asked, through his communications device. I also had one hidden under my collar.
Jerome heard the entire conversation from the moment I entered the room and we both heard enough to know that his brother had to die, I just did the honours!
I turned around and made sure I wasn't spotted talking to Jerome. "Don't kill them, not yet. Harley is mine anyway...touch her and you're dead." I said threateningly through the comms device.
I turned back around and walked towards the angry villains and the bat.
"Bats, I hope you've been keeping good care of my girl. The other girls know their place in this alliance of ours. Selina, for a start you managed to get yourself caught. Ivy...you were too busy to help me? Tsk tsk, not good enough I'm afraid." I said disappointingly.
Batman looked at me with his arms crossed. No surprise he wasn't happy with me...though I'm surprised he hasn't actually done anything.
"J, what are we waiting for?" Jerome asked.
"Well I would love to stay and chat but I know you girls are desperate to leave this place. You've been kept in here for hours! That's worse than listening to my jokes isn't it?" I looked at all of the girls. "Those things in your wrists, I can help with that. Though you won't like it"
"J...what are you doing?" Jerome asked.
"Trust me, it'll hurt but it'll at least make you able to leave this place without exploding yourself and the whole of Gotham." I looked at Batman's angry face. "Don't worry Bats, I'm not gonna kill them. But they have to get those little pieces of tech out soon or it'll be too late." "I believe I have a method in which will solve your problem...All I need is my switch-blade. Or alternatively, you could do it yourselves and make a mess or possibly cut off your arm!" I laughed.
"Joker, you will not go anywhere near these girls." Batman said angrily.
"Well, don't say I didn't warn you." I groaned.
"Now" I said, signalling to Jerome it was time.
"Now what...?" Ivy said.
"Oh sorry, I lost my track of thought. I was saying...-"
Jerome dropped down from the roof and landed like a professional free-runner.
"Now you better start screaming" Jerome said, smiling evilly.
His face was scarred like Max's but his eye wasn't missing. His face was more distinctly evil than Max's and his clothing was less professional and more...psychotic. He was wearing a black trench-coat which was unfastened and underneath was his black and white 'Arkham' prisoner clothing. He totally didn't copy my unique style...but that didn't matter to me.
"Harley, please step away from the bat or you will get hurt." I said. Harley didn't move, she just looked at me blankly. "Now..." I said in a more threatening voice. She walked over to me unwillingly. "The rest of you, well I hope you enjoy the little surprise Jerome has tucked up his sleeve. And no, it's not a playing card or some tissues."
"Choices, Dark Knight. I asked you earlier 'Would I use honourable actions or descend into madness?' Think carefully." Jerome said.
"Don't kill them, Mistah J! Please..." Harley said sadly.
"I won't, he might though." I smirked and nodded at Jerome. "We should probably get out of here though...Don't want you to get blood on your new outfit, would we?"
"But...But...Mistah J..." she muttered.
"Don't make me ask again, Harley." I said in a more serious tone.
"The device in Selina's arm...you're not saying that me and Ivy can escape and yet she can't...are you?" she asked sadly.
"You really care about the cat huh? Alright fine, I'll make sure he plays nicely with the kitty." I said, rolling my eyes.
"No! Mistah J, let her walk free. I don't care if ya kill B-MAN or these other girls but not my friends." she continued trying to sympathize with me.
"Fine...Cat, come here." I said. Selina edged towards me nervously.
"Arm" Jerome said.
Selina rolled up her sleeve and showed me the scarred and slightly bloodied area on her wrist. These integrated devices weren't too big or in too deep, I could get it out fairly easily without removing her arm completely. Harley can forgive anything I do normally, but this would be a step too far...even for me.
"Whoo, boy! Now that's a scar and a half. Alright...this might hurt a little" I got out my switch-blade from my pocket and flicked the blade out.
"Joker!" Batman shouted.
I groaned. "What? I'm actually trying to help her for once, bats. Leave me alone."
"Dark Knight...Would I use honourable actions or descend into madness?" Jerome asked for the third time, he was clearly getting impatient with the bat now.
"Wait! J...please..." Selina started.
"It's OK, for once...I'm not going to hurt you if I can help it. Harley cares about you and Ivy, she would never forgive me if I hurt you." I whispered to Selina.
"Uh..." Selina said, nervously.
"I promise, only the bat and the other girls will suffer." I whispered as I cut into her wrist and forced the device chip out of her arm.
"ARGHHHHHHHHHH! FUCK!" Selina yelled as the device fell on the floor.
"Selina! Are you alright?" Ivy asked, running over to her.
"That hurt...but at least that thing is out now. What was it...?" Selina asked, braving the pain.
Batman picked up the device and inspected it.
"Hmm. Tracking chip, Mr Wright was using these to track and monitor each of these girls. There's no link to a detonation sequence though."
"You want to take that chance, bats?" I asked.
"'Would I use honourable actions or descend into madness...?'" Jerome repeated again. This same line must've been grating on everyone by now.
"WE GET IT ALREADY! SHUT UP!" Harley screamed at Jerome.
Jerome grunted at her and crossed his arms.
"We going to just stand here, or can I rip this guy to pieces now?" Selina asked angrily.
Harley and Ivy looked at Selina with concern and walked over to her.
Harley and Ivy hugged Selina. Aw, such a cute little group of friends they are. Harley must really care about these two though...she just saved their lives. Or rather...she convinced me to save their lives...but anyway. Where was I?
"Bats, you're predictable. You haven't done anything because you're scared." I said. "You're not scared of me, not scared of him and not scared that you're surrounded by villains. You're scared that I just helped someone. Well believe you me, bats I didn't want to. But my dear Harley is very persuasive." I said, smiling at Harley.
Harley stopped hugging Selina, ran up to me and kissed me. I knew it, I knew I could win her back as easily as I expected. Selina and Ivy always were good girls, they had their admirable traits and different styles of villainy. For Harley's sake, I won't hurt them. Selina's arm though? Please...I saved her life, so we're even.
As far as I'm concerned, Jerome is too naïve still. He obeys too much and too easily, and yet when I wasn't there, he handled the situation incredibly well...I must say.
"Thank you" Harley whispered to me.
I must admit, she's adorable when she's happy.
"The Bat might not answer the question, what will you do then?" I asked Jerome.
"Nothing good, hahahaha" he said, laughing evilly.
Am I concerned with his plans? No. Am I concerned with his sudden insanity? OK...maybe a little.
"Free, we are until obstacles are placed before us,
Many challenges provide excitement. And logically, the idea of fun is insane." he said, seriously with a slightly threatening tone.
