A Laugh In The Dark Ch3
A shuffling of sheets snapped me back to reality. As I stared over at Joker I realized that he was staring back at me. Those red eyes flashing with curiosity as he raised an eyebrow wandering at my presence there. Slowly and cautiously he climbed off the cot. "What the fuck?" he managed weakly, "Why are you still…" he suddenly doubled over, obviously still in pain from being slammed into the wall. I never hesitated, rushing forward I caught him and gently pulled him back up onto the cot, preventing his face first encounter with the floor.
He sat there quietly staring up at me completely stunned at my action. Seeing his stunned expression I could only smile softly down at him as I gently patted his head, much like a parent would do to a child that needed comforting. Without a word I slowly turned and walked out of his cell. Stopping a few feet away I glanced down at the floor and silently sighed to myself. Then I shifted my gaze up and through the heavily barred window and into the sky, which was now a deep orange do to the setting sun. I heard a slight shuffling sound behind me so I glanced back over my right shoulder. It was Joker, peeking out at me from behind the door's frame.
The confused yet thoughtful look on his face as he looked out at me was "Somewhat cute." I thought, made more so by the way he brought his brows together as the was thinking. Again the soft smile etched slowly across my face, but as soon as it had come it was gone. Turning away I though, "Why am I having these feelings for him? HIM! Of all people! The Joker! Clown Prince of Crime! The very chaos of Gotham incarnate! Its wrong to have feelings for someone who killed more people in one day than I do as a vampire in one year. Isn't it? Of Corse It Was! Then…why am I having them?" Of corse the reason behind these feelings was a plane as day…I was in love…gods save me…I was in love with the Joker!
I began to walk once more, heading for the entrance. Rounding the last corner I stared down the hall, the door leading out was only 20 or so feet away. As I continued toward it I glanced quickly into the cell I had placed the woman in. She hadn't moved other than to curl up into a ball snuggling up to the pillow. "Good," I thought, "I'd rather not have to mess with her right now." Returning my attention back to the front door I closed the distance between it and myself.
Now standing on the front steps of the asylum I turned and glanced back inside. There limping down the hall with one hand against the right wall to steady himself, the other tightly gripping his stomach was Joker. He was staring at me, and as he realized I had turned and was now watching him he stopped, lips curling upward to form a nervous grin. Sorrow tugged at my black heart, begging me to stay. But I turned away, ignoring my hearts cry to stop, spread my wings and flew away, but not in the direction of Wayne Tower. No this time I wanted to see the home of Wayne himself, the man who's shoulders support the weight of Gotham much like the mighty Atlas supports the weight of the world.
Bruce Wayne, this man intrigued me almost as much as Joker did. Why anyone would care so much about a city as damned as this one I do not know. It took me a while but I finally made it to the manor. Flying up to it as quietly and unseen as I could I landed soundlessly on the roof. I looked around at the land surrounding the manor, it was the complete opposite of the grounds surrounding Arkham. Lush and green, the grass well kept and the hedges neatly trimmed. The house itself was also neatly kept, and stood pristine as if the horrors of the city didn't effect it at all.
Just then the sound of a window being opened caught my ear. Leaning over the roofs edge I spotted the window that had been opened. Only it wasn't a window, rather it was a glass door leading out onto a small balcony. And the balcony was occupied, by a rather well built man wearing a black suit, his brushed back jet black hair barley budging as the wind picks up. For the longest time I just crouched there, watching him as he stared out at Gotham City, his face was hidden from me so I couldn't read his facial expression.
But then suddenly I could. He turned sharply looking up, glaring straight at me. "Again?" I though, "What is with these people? Do they have Spider-sense or something?" I chuckle inward at my odd Spider-Man reference. But as I stared down into the eyes of the man glaring up at me I felt the humor drain out of me, replaced by an icy chill that made my blood run cold. This guy, this ordinary looking guy, was far more intimidating than the Joker had been with his malice filled grin. I wanted to shrink back, become invisible, anything to get away from that glare. Than he spoke, in a low gravelly voice that matched the anger in his eyes. "Who are you, and what the hell are you doing here?"
I flinch visibly at the sound of his voice. "Great," I though, "someone else who intimidates me even when I'm in vampire state." He notices the flinch and his expression and tone softened a bit. "Well? Who are you and why are you here?" I shake my head clearing it of the remaining feeling of intimidation, standing while spreading my wings I jump down gliding slowly for a bit before coming to rest in a crouching position on the balconies' guard rail. The man stepped back eyeing me intensely, watching as I recoiled my wings and stepped down off the rail. "Sorry if I alarmed you." I said raising my hands up slightly in an 'I surrender' fashion. "I was curious that's all. Your…Bruce…right? Bruce Wayne?" I ask lowering my arms back to my sides.
"That's right," Bruce says eyeing me suspiciously, "what, may I ask, do you want with me?" I raise my hands up once more shaking my head, "Nothing, Mr. Wayne. I simply wanted to meet you that's all, I swear. My name is Jace. I've heard so much about you. The man who single handedly bears the he weight of a damned city on his shoulders. How could I not want to meet the man crazy enough to cling onto the hope of redeeming," I gesture over my shoulder at Gotham before continuing, "this hellhole?" He looks down for a moment, sadness showing in his eyes. Then he turns his attention back towards Gotham. "Is it really so crazy," he says in a barely audible whisper, "for one to want to save a city they've loved nearly all there life?"
I cant help but gaze at him with sorrowful eyes. "No," I said shaking my head and glancing over at the city as well, "I guess it isn't. But, to be honest, I cant see how one man can handle the stress of a situation like the one your in without breaking down." I could feel his eyes once again upon me so I turned back around. I suddenly wince as pain shoots through my body once again, and once again quickly subsides. "Are you alright?" he asks in a monotone voice. I nod my head yes and look up at him.
Our eyes lock, but his face held no emotion, no anger, sorrow, fear, concern, nothing. "Maybe he really has broken down." I thought to myself. Then I notice his eyes were wandering, looking me up and down. This made me more than a little nervous and I absentmindedly flexed my wings trying to ignore the slight burning sensation in my face as I started to slightly blush.
The movement of my wings, like it had before with Joker, caught Bruce's attention. Curiously he raises an eyebrow and walks toward me. Though there wasn't that much of a distance between us. Five, six feet at the most. He than lifts a hand up reaching for one of my wings, but halfway there he paused, "May I?" he asked looking me in the eye. I nod and turn slightly giving him better access to the wings. Taking one firmly into his hands and stretching it out to full length and visually measured it. "Wow," he mutters under his breath, "the wing span is nearly twice the length of your body, much like a bat's." He than began flexing them, almost the same way Joker had, to see how fare they bent. "Highly flexible bone structure, also, much like a bat's. Hmm…"
He abruptly released his grasp on my wing, grabbed up my hand, and was now examining the slightly dark grey claw like nails. "Hey what the f…?" I start to say noticing the color of my nails but got cut off when his grip suddenly went from my hand to my face. My cat like ears shot up in alarm at this and my eyes widen slightly, he was starting to really freak me out.
He than roughly pushed back my upper lip on one side and examined my fangs. "Heh, just as I thought." He said with a smug grin. "You're a vampire, right?" The way he said it was so 'matter-of-factly' that it almost didn't sound like a question at all. "Ya know," I said in an annoyed tone, twitching one of my ears, and recoiling my wings, "You could have just asked instead of putting me through that."
His smug grin widens a bit, "Yeah I know. But where is the fun in that?" I fold my arms tightly across my chest in a mock angry pout. "But where is the fun in that…" I repeated him staring at his grin, which quickly vanished into a confused frown. "What's wrong?" he asks slightly tilting his head to one side. "Oh…its just that…that's the same thing HE said…when I told him that." Bruce looked even more confused. "Who said the same thing?" I looked over in the direction of Arkham. "The Joker…" I mumble under my breath. "and then he gave me that exact same grin." I say in a quieter voice as the wind blows a lock of my hair over one eye.
Bruce just stood there in silence, after a few minutes he finally asks, "You know, The Joker?" there was a pinch of hate in his voice as he said the last part. "Not really," I say shaking my head, "no. I ran into him when I was exploring Arkham. I didn't think anyone would still be there, but there he was." I flex my wings again remembering, "bastard damn near ripped off my wings trying to see how far they would bend before breaking." A small grin tugged at the edges of my mouth. But looking into Bruce's eyes told me right now was NOT a good time for it.
All the light had gone off in them. He was glaring, not at me but just past my shoulder, in the direction of Arkham. It was as if he could see over the distance the grinning fool that is The Joker. He gives a low growl deep in his throat that startles the hell out of me. "H-hey Bruce?" I stuttered backing up from him as far as the guard rail would let me, "What is it? W-what's wrong?" Turning sharply he walked back inside the manor.
I stare in after him taking a step forward. "Leave. Now." Bruce commanded in a low dark voice which told me if I didn't obey there would be consequences. Spreading my wings I jumped onto the guard rail and flew away. Were I was headed now I didn't know nor did I care so long as it got me away from the creepiness that is Bruce Wayne.
"Damnit," I said aloud as I glided over an area of Gotham known as Otisburg , "What the hell is wrong with me lately? First Joker manages to almost kill me, TWICE, then I get scared half to death by the 'boy millionaire' Bruce Wayne." Landing on a random building I look out over Gotham. It had been a good two hours since I left Bruce's manor. "Am I a pathetic excuse for a vampire or what?" I asked aloud to no one particular. "Possibly." came a flat reply from behind me. Jumping forward, and nearly off the roof, in shock I spun around only to find myself standing face to the cowled face of Gotham's one and only Batman. He was barely a outline in the dark but I was still able to tell who it was.