Thanks to michelle1203, Phantom-Roses, PatrickDempseylover and Salamara for the reviews!
As I made my way home after a double homicide and stealing around eight to ten thousand dollars, I couldn't help but keep thinking that Gen would be proud of me. That she would be happy and stop worrying. Think of the stuff we could get with all that money! She could do whatever the hell she wanted with it and I heh heh..I could buy Iraqi made bombs! That'll do some damage!
The songs that played on the radio as I drove seemed to me to be a good omen. Songs that played on the radio the night I first made love to Gen. Songs like, 'I'll Go On Loving You' by Alan Jackson, 'Like the Rain' by Clint Black, and 'Rock You, Baby' by Toby Keith. Y'know, now that I think about it, is it just me or does the country singer, Jack Ingram look like Harvey Dent? Well, half of his face does….
Another good thing I had going for me was that I had totally gotten away with the bank job. I hadn't seen a cop anywhere and I wore purple gloves, no fingerprints. I had a clean record in Gotham which made me virtually unidentifiable.
When I got home, I couldn't wait to tell Gen about the money. She would never know where I got the money, but I couldn't wait to see her smile.
"Gen, Gen, Gen, Genny." I said. She was sitting at the computer desk and she turned in the chair to look at me.
"Jack what the hell were you thinking?!" She exclaimed, walking up to me. Ok, that wasn't the welcome home I expected, but that wasn't the first thing on my mind that second, I had a correction to make.
"Ah, ah, ah, it's Joker now." I wanted her to know that I wasn't Jack. I was the Joker and I would stay that way.
"No. No! It's Jack! You're Jackson Gabriel Napier! Not the Joker!" She spat the name. Ironic isn't it? My middle name is also the name of an archangel.
Right then and there, I convinced myself I had to kill Genesis. The reasons why I thought I had to kill her ranged from I can't have a wife at home while I commit my many crimes to I thought it sounded cool, like this was what all homicidal maniacs end up doing.
"Y'know…I'm kinda like Darth Vader and I quote" I let my voice drop to a deep menacing and rumbling one, "'that name means nothing to me.'" my voice returned my Joker voice. "I do something horrible for the person I love and all I get is shit! But hey, at least I wasn't set on fire!" I yelled. "And now, just like Padme Amidala, you'll die." I said, pulling out a gun and pointing it at Gen's forehead.
"No, Jack please don't do it! I love you! Stop! If you stop now, we came get out of Gotham before the police find you and pretend this never happened! Leave all this behind while we still can!" She pleaded with tears flowing from her cheeks.
I grimaced and pressed the gun to her forehead, but I still didn't pull the trigger. Those big and brown teary eyes were not helping and she kept rambling on, like it would save her.
"Jack, how could you have done something like this?! I don't know you anymore! The Jack I know would never do that, no matter what! My heart is braking because I know that you, Jack, are being consumed by this Joker. You're doing things I cannot follow you in!"
'Aw…fuck. Maybe I should just point the gun at my head.' I thought in frustration.
All of Gen's crying reminded me of a terrified night we went spent together. It was he December of our first year on our own. A thunderstorm came in, followed by freezing rain, followed by snow. The freezing rain had coated the power lines and tree branches with a heavy, thick coat of ice. Like rubber bands stretched to their max, the power lines and branches snapped in half, knocking out power everywhere in Gotham. The few power lines that did survive the ice, were broken by falling branches.
Gen and I stayed huddled on the couch together in front of a fire from the time we woke up at two a.m. from a snapping tree until power returned a week later. Gotham and Bludhaven were so bad, the president declared us a disaster sight.
That was the first catastrophe we faced on our own, without parents and she was as scared as she could be. She was afraid that we would freeze to death in that small apartment. The look she had on her face when she told me that is the same one she had on her face when I threatened to kill her. I had caused that much fear in her and for once, I didn't like it.
Then, I cracked. Again. I pulled the gun away and threw my arms around her as guilt seared in my gut. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. You're my weakness! I can kill anybody, but not you! I don't know what's wrong with me! I can't control it!"
I wasn't lying either. I can't explain it. I can't kill her. I killed my parents, the people who brought me into the world, but not Genesis. All I can really say is that she is my weakness. Is this a remnant of sanity in me?
She cupped my white painted and scarred cheeks in her hands. "Start taking your meds." She said firmly.
I would do anything for her. I'd take a bullet for her but I wasn't about to do that. The meds put me in a haze that clouded my mind and thinking. I didn't like the idea that I took the meds to control me. I mean, I was born this way, so, I was meant to be this way.
"No. I want to do what I want to do. I have something to prove!" I said, ardently.
"What do you have to prove, Jack?" she asked skeptically.
"That you're the only person in this god damned planet that can't be bought! You're pure, Gen! Even that Batman idiot everybody is talking about now!"
"Fine Jack. Do whatever the hell you want. Two rules and if you really love me, you'll follow them. I don't want to hear about what you did and no rape!"
"Cross my heart and hope to die. Speakin' of death. Here, take this." I said handing her my gun. "If anybody found out that I have a wife, they'd come and get ya. No body can know we're together. It'll be our little secret!" I said chuckling, and putting the gun in her hands. "Use it if the time comes." I said.
Yeah, yeah, I know what you guys are thinking. You're smart people (I think…), you guys watch the news (maybe) and you've seen what I've written all over Gotham. 'THE ONLY SENSIBLE WAY TO LIVE IN THIS WORLD IS WITHOUT RULES'. So you're all probably thinking 'But, Mr. Joker that doesn't make any sense. Your wife just gave you rules and you follow them!' Well, I'll tell you guys a secret, that's my secret! I do live by rules! But no body else has to know! Ha!
"Don't wait up. I got to find my…entourage." I said and kissed Gen. "Love ya!" I said walked out the door.