Who you really are
The Batman's face was like stone and his eyes were like two black holes boring down at them. Amelia tore her eyes away from the intensity of his stare, it making her uneasy. Why was he looking at her like that?
Finally he looked at The Joker, who had climbed to his feet, towering protectively over Amelia. She crawled out of the way hurriedly knowing something bad was about to happen.
Amelia huddled further inside the overcoat that the Joker had given her and watched them closely from her place of safety. She had scooted near the fire exit door and was pressed closely against it.
The Joker was standing, legs apart with his knife flicked out, tossing it casually from one hand to the other.
Batman stood firm, his body looked like a weapon. That night in the park Amelia hadn't gotten a good look at him but was shocked at how tall he was. He was enormous and that black suit only served to make him look more lithe and meanacing.
"Sorry to interrupt your…private moment," Batman said, his voice more like a growl. He looked briefly over at Amelia, his eyes locking with hers for just a moment.
But a moment was all Amelia needed.
She swallowed hard. This couldn't be real. No, she must still dazed from where The Joker had hit her in the face. But she could have sworn she recognised those eyes, just for a split second.
They were so sad.
"There are people who are missing Miss West downstairs; you can't have her all to yourself Joker,"
The Joker folded his arms behind his back and laughed gleefully.
"And here you are…the predictable hero, come to rescue fair maiden. Miss West doesn't need rescuing…she wants to stay with me!"
Batman looked at her sharply and Amelia rose to her feet. She shrugged off the overcoat and let it fall to the ground.
Slowly she walked towards him and then turned, standing beside Batman.
"Jack…" she said, her voice pleading, "If you truly meant what you just said…then there's only one way that can happen, you need to go back to Arkham,"
The Joker broke out into a fit of hysterical giggles.
Amelia glanced up timidly at Batman and knew now that she hadn't been imagining things.
All this time! Her brave, kind best friend had hidden this from her.
Bruce clocked the quickly developing bruise on her jaw. He reached out his hand to her face.
"He hit you," his voice was engulfed with hatred.
Suddenly and out of nowhere the Joker had closed the gap between them, he ran full pelt at Batman, taking him by surprise and knocking him off his feet.
Straddling his chest The Joker began to hammer his fists into Batman's face. Every blow sent shockwaves through Amelia's body.
"Jack stop it!" she screamed grabbing his shoulders to try and pull him away.
The Joker seized her wrist, twisted it hard so it cracked and carelessly threw her aside as though she were a rag doll.
That was all the incentive Batman needed. He stood in one fluid motion, taking the Joker by the lapels and throwing him across the concrete.
Amelia winced as she heard his body smash to the floor. He gave a yelp in pain but was on his feet in moments.
Cradling her wrist, which she was sure was broken, Amelia tried to stand.
The Joker and Batman circled one another like sharks. Each threw the other sickening, defeating blows, and yet they kept getting up, kept fighting.
In comparison the Joker appeared wiry and thin to Batman's thick, muscled bulk. And yet The Joker climbed to his feet after each hit, though he looked exhausted from pain. He was hot and sweaty, his makeup running down his neck.
"Please stop Jack," Amelia cried out to him her face now sticky with tears.
He looked at her and gave her a wink.
Amelia sobbed frantically. One was going to kill the other; it was just a question of who caved in first. She looked at Batman, who despite his appearance, was faltering. He swayed slightly on his feet, pain and exhaustion washing over him.
Gradually the police, had appeared on the roof carrying large guns they climbed over the roof top, appeared from windows. They began to circle the three of them.
Amelia heard a rumbling noise and then the roof was alight as a black Helicopter appeared over the building, circling low and her heart fell.
The Helicopter rushed past their heads, sending Amelia's feather dress flying in the air. Someone with a megaphone was leaning out of the Helicopter door.
"Batman…Joker…Drop your weapons and let the girl go,"
They both looked up momentarily and that moment was all The Joker needed. He flung himself at the Bat, surging his knife through the Bat suit with ferocity, repeatedly stabbing him all over. Batman let forth a roar of anguish and pain.
"Bruce!" Amelia screamed. This time she hurled all the power she had at the Joker, literally knocking him flying and landing on top of him. The pain in her wrist sent her reeling.
"Jack please..." she held him down tightly, his face inches from hers.
He laughed. "So we're back to nicknames, Ballerina,"
Amelia choked, tears thick in her throat.
"Joker…I love you," she said, desperate and pleading, "Stop this now,"
His face contorted in what looked like laugh but it never quite got there. She searched his face for the response she wanted but someone was to interrupt.
"Alright up you two! And keep you're hands in the air or we'll shoot!"
Amelia stared at the Joker and he rolled his eyes at her.
Two Police officers had cornered them and held their guns high. Both Amelia and The Joker climbed unsteadily to their feet.
"Drop the knife clown!" the younger female officer shouted, her voice clear and calm.
Amelia flung her eyes at Bruce and saw he was still sprawled on the ground, breathing hard, but she could see no signs of the blood that should have been gushing from him.
The male cop, spoke into one of his walkies.
"Commissioner we have The Batman and The Joker, send more back up,"
"Bru-Batman…are you alright?" Amelia called and he nodded, barely able to catch his breath.
"Don't move….you're surrounded!" the female cop cried as Amelia made a move towards Bruce's deathly form.
"Stay put Princess," The Joker hissed at her. Bruce nodded at her to listen to the Joker and Amelia swallowed, casting a glance at the helicopter that hovered threateningly above their heads.
"She said drop the knife!" the male cop growled and the Joker stepped forward, twirling the knife in his hand.
"Sure, sure," he said, his voice soothing and low, "I'll come quietly Officer,"
He threw Amelia a look over his shoulder and winked at her.
Then too many things happened at once. The Joker lurched backwards and grabbed Amelia roughly around the waist, throwing her in front of him like a body shield.
He pressed the knife to her breast bone, the blade edge slicing the soft flesh there, a steam of blood rushing down the front of her pink bodice.
It surprisingly didn't hurt, it just stung, but Amelia still gasped from the shock of it.
Bruce made a move to run to her but the cop was on him with the gun in his face.
"Don't anyone move!" the cop screamed, his eyes flinging from Batman to the Joker and to the blood running down Amelia's costume.
"What are you doing?" Amelia hissed at the Joker. He pressed his lips to her ear, his chin on her shoulder.
"Getting us out of here," he whispered.
The Joker placed the knife to her breast again, pointing it dagger down. The Joker laughed, squeezing Amelia to make her yelp.
"No one wants to see Gotham's princess with a knife through her heart on the front page of the Tribune tomorrow morning! So why don't you be good little cops and let us go?" the Joker cackled, his voice high pitched.
"Don't be a moron Joker!" the female cop said, as another officer joined her, "Just let Miss West go. Our orders are to shoot to kill!"
"Ohhh gosh!" The Joker giggled, "Now you have me cornered like an animal…who knows what I might do…what do you think Bats?"
Batman looked at him from his position on the ground. He was still breathing like a wounded animal, clutching his side in pain.
"Please…" he begged, his voice low, "Let her go,"
Amelia had been aware that in the last few seconds more Police officers with guns had joined them on the roof. Another thing that she was aware of was that the Joker had gradually been dragging her backwards, her bare feet scraping across the hard concrete. Casting a glance over his shoulder, she saw that they were heading to the edge of the roof, to the low brick wall.
"What are you doing?" one of the cops screamed.
"Pick your feet up princess," The Joker hissed in her ear and she tried to wriggle away, "Now, now naughty, get up here,"
Nastily grabbing her hair so that she cried out, she shakily lifted her dress and climbed gingerly onto the brick wall. Her knees trembling and her feet cold, she gripped his shirt in fright. He laughed, throwing an arm around her shoulder, pressing the blade to her throat.
Terrified, she saw the alley way below and nothing to break their fall.
"I'm going to fall Jack!" she cried, feeling faint.
He looked at her and kissed her cheek.
"Don't worry, Batman'll save us," he giggled.
"Prepare to fire!" one of the cops roared and Batman was on his feet.
"Here we go!" The Joker laughed and linked his arm around Amelia's waist, "Keep your eyes open!"
The last thing Amelia saw was Bruce's face as she was pulled and fell backwards. She heard the Joker laughing in her ear and felt the air whooshing through her hair.
Then she saw Batman lunge over the brick wall, his cape flying around him. She saw an object flying towards them and realised it was some kind of hook. It hooked the Joker's trouser leg and he halted mid air. His grip tightened on Amelia's waist as their combined weight and momentum on the line sent them crashing into the brick wall of the building they had fallen from.
Pain exploded in Amelia but she couldn't tell from where. It felt like she'd shattered every bone in her body and her chest hurt. She had hit her head on the wall of the building and was still dazed as they were being lowered to the ground.
Batman was the first on the ground and he lowered Amelia into his arms. The Joker fell to the ground with a sickening thud.
"You planned that!" Batman growled his voice still laced with agony from the stab wounds he'd received.
Amelia was breathless with fury. "You bastard…you could have killed us both!"
He giggled, still wriggling on the ground like a fish on a hook.
"I was thinking of Batman," he giggled, "The cops have been after him for months!"
"He wouldn't even be here if it weren't for you!"
She stopped mid sentence, seeing the blood on the Joker's shirt front.
"You…you're bleeding," suddenly she was weak, she felt icy cold.
The Joker sat up grabbing at his shirt front, looking at the fresh blood stain there.
Then he looked up at Amelia.
"No…you are,"
Amelia stared down at herself. A wash of ice whipped up her legs, her heart almost stopping in her chest. She touched the hilt of the knife embedded up under her ribcage.
"Amelia..." Bruce caught her as she fell to the ground, "Oh Jesus…stay still OK?"
She laughed at the absurdity of the knife lodged under her breast bone, its gleaming hilt shining up at her. Her eyes filled with tears.
"It doesn't hurt," she insisted, her voice high pitched, "That's good isn't it?"
She felt numb, a strange crawling sensation creeping up her legs and she wanted to lie down. She was tired. Lying back in Bruce's arms she could feel the ice of the ground seeping through her flimsy costume.
Blood was congealing around the knife; it was sticky on her hands.
"Don't touch it," Bruce soothed, "God where are the police…"
From the other side of the wall they could hear the din of the music still going on inside the restaurant.
Bruce had been watching the Joker for the last few seconds and the clown still hadn't made a run for it. Instead he stood rooted to the spot, his eyes nervously darting from the knife protruding crudely from Amelia's chest to the Batman hunched protectively over her.
"When we hit the wall…" he muttered, lifting his fingers to his mouth to chew the nails there.
"What?" Batman growled angrily.
"We hit the wall…the knife…it must of…"
"Joker get out of here!" Batman said suddenly, unable to believe the words he was about to say, "You've got your chance, so GO! The cops'll be here any moment,"
The Joker ignored him and instead lowered himself to his knees by Amelia's body.
Amelia was fading away and she knew it. Panic rose up in her throat and she wanted to scream but she was too weak.
She could feel her heartbeat dying in her chest. Her eyes were filmy and her lips were blue.
"Jack," she whispered touching his shirt sleeve, "He's right. Go while you have the chance,"
The Joker licked his lips. "Is she going to die?" he directed his question at Batman, who was also weak from pain.
Amelia tried to force a smile. "No, no I'm not"
"It's not my fault, its not," his voice was painfully normal, like a regular man. Gone was the high pitched laughter and the sing song tone she was so used to.
Amelia reached out her hand to him.
"You need to go," she whispered.
Lights appeared in the alley way and the sound of the siren made both the Joker and Batman look up. Car doors opened and slammed and suddenly they were back to where they started, surrounded by cops.
"Go!" Batman hissed at him but The Joker didn't move.
His makeup was worn and cracked. Leaning closer to Amelia he pressed his mouth to hers and she closed her eyes, tears spilling over her dark lashes and wetting his face.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he whispered against her lips.
"First and last kiss," she smiled weakly, delirious, she was finding it hard to think straight.
Bruce held her tighter, suddenly frightened.
"Help!" he called to the cops, "We need help, she's been stabbed!"
The Joker didn't move as paramedics ran and forced him out of the way. He didn't move as three cops with riffles surrounded him. He stood slowly and held his hands above his head. Two of the cops roughly grabbed his arms, dragging him to the police van that had pulled up.
Amelia watched, suddenly feeling very far away as The Joker was hauled into the van.
She closed her eyes, so, so tired.
"Bruce," she whispered.
Bruce held her closer as the night drew in around them.
"Amelia, please…I can't loose you too,"
"Bruce, listen to me," her voice was faint, "Don't ever stop what you're doing. I'm sorry that I never saw who you really were,"
"You always saw the real me," Bruce felt hot tears stinging his eyes. He felt suffocated under the Bat Mask and longed to pull it off, wishing she could say goodbye to his real face.
"Keep an eye on him," she said.
Bruce let out a cry of anguish as Amelia closed her eyes and drew on her last breath.
The Police van pulled away from the scene, heading out towards Arkham asylum.
From the back of the van, if only faintly, you could hear laughing.