A Laugh In The Dark Ch11

Two weeks pass with no trace of Heartless found. Two more bodies had been discovered, both in the same condition as the first, only without the trash bag. Nearing the end of the second week Batman was furious, at both Heatless and himself for not being able to catch the psycho. Batman, or rather Bruce as he was not in the Batsuit at the moment, was typing frantically at the keyboard of the computer terminal in the Batcave, trying to find something, ANYTHING that would help lead to the capture of the heart crazed madman when Oracle popped up on the screen. "Hello Bruce. Any luck finding anything about Heartless?" Her voice had a hopeful and somewhat fearful tone to it, one of the victims had been a friend of hers and she was more than a little nervous for her own safety. "No," Bruce all but growled out, shaking his head. "I've searched the database dozens of times. I cant find any files on him anywhere. He must have somehow managed to erase everything about himself, he doesn't want anyone knowing anything about his past."

Oracle gave a slight nod and locked her fingers together in front of her, taking a more stern look. "Like The Joker." She watched as Bruce gave a subtle flinch at his name. The small movement would have gone unnoticed by anyone else beyond the small handful of people who knew him almost better than he knew himself. "Bruce, I know you have a thing for The Joker. Hell, Robin, Nightwing, father, and a hand full of civilians and villains know you have a thing for him." Her voice changed from slightly nervous to down right amusement. "I mean its pretty obvious, the way you would go after him and his petty crimes when there were larger more dangerous threats to the city at the time." By now Bruce's face had gone from anger to shock and slightly pink with embarrassment. "At first I thought when you dumped him off on that Jace guy you told me about, I figured it was because you had finally gotten over him. But now I know the truth." she gave Bruce a small wicked knowing grin, "You were jealous that he might have liked the vampire more than you."

Bruce gives a small sheepish grin and nervous chuckle. "Heh…it was that obvious, huh?" Bruce sighs loudly and reclines back in his chair. "I don't know why I let what Joker said get to me like I did. I acted like a complete jerk, and now they both probably think I absolutely hate them." He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "Maybe you could, oh I don't know, try TALKING to them? Apologies for how you reacted." Oracle suggested. Bruce looked up at her like she had suddenly grown a second head. "Talk, and apologies? To The Joker? Hah! That's like saying he's going to give up the villain business and become a super hero. It isn't going to happen." he punctuated the statement by stubbornly crossing his arms over his chest and giving a childish pout.

Oracle crossed her arms as well, giving Bruce a stern look. "Bruuuce." she drawled out his name like a parent getting onto there kid for doing something they were told not to. Bruce sighed in defeat, there was no arguing with her when she got that tone. He let his arms fall back onto the computer desk. "Fiiine, I'll talk to them. Happy now?" Oracle gave a triumphant smile. "Yes. Now back to more pressing matters." she said, switching them both back into serious mode, "My sources tell me that they've seen a mysterious black and red clad figure hanging around the old abandoned zoo." Bruce sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose, "Let me guess, the fox cages?"

Oracle blinks at him for a moment then nods. "Yes, how did you…" Bruce cuts her off, "Heartless has a thing for foxes. I've seen the two he keeps with him, though only in glimpses. There some sort of…spirit creatures." Oracle raises an eyebrow at this. "Spirit creatures? Are you telling me such things exist?" Bruce sighs again, "Stranger things have happened. You and I both know that." It was Oracles turn to sigh. "Well that's certainly true. A lot stranger." A far off look comes over Oracles face as she muses through past memories of the strange events that make up there lives.

Bruce watches her features for a moment before a small smile makes an appearance on his own face. "Remembering the past Barbara?" A soft somewhat sad smile appears on Oracles face. "Yeah, we sure have lived interesting lives haven't we Bruce?" Giving a slight nod Bruce props his elbows on the chairs armrests, locks his fingers together and rests his chin on them. "Our lives will only get even more interesting once I have a 'talk' with Jace and Joker." Bruce gives a frustrated sigh and looks up at Oracle. "Why do I have to apologies to that clown? He never apologizes for any of the horrible and unspeakable acts he has committed. You of all people know he feels nothing for the people he torments." As soon as the words left his mouth he immediately regretted it.

Oracle looked down at her wheelchair. A look of sadness and slight hurt clearly showing on her face. What the Joker had done to her, was unforgivable. And she had felt more than a little hurt and betrayed once she had learned that Bruce had feelings for the clown, despite the horrible things he has done. Although upon seeing how much Bruce truly felt for Joker she had reluctantly forgiven Bruce. Her grudge against Joker, however, had not lessened in the slightest. In fact her hate of the Joker grew even more when she found out. But if he was what Bruce wanted, than no amount of hate she felt toward Joker could stop him from pursuing the demented clown. Oracle forced a small smile and nodded, "Yeah, I do know he can be apathetic about some, if not most things." she said quietly then looked back up at Bruce, "But not you. If the clown has any real feelings for anything or anyone, your it. So go, talk to him, talk to both of them. And while your at it, could you please try and catch that Heartless guy a little faster?" she added the last part with a small playful grin.

Bruce sighed then returned the grin. "Yeah yeah I'll do my best to catch the big bad fox." With that they said there goodnights and switched off there links. Bruce sat back and went over everything he had on Heartless a few more times, but it was only a distraction to keep him from thinking to much about what he really had to do. Sighing loudly he pinched the bridge of his nose. "I am so not looking forward to talking to those two idiots…three if Harley is there…got to find a place to speak to them alone and away from that woman." Bruce sat in silence for a few minutes thinking of where he could lead the pair that would both get them away from Harley and help in the hunt for Heartless. Then a thought came to him. "Gotham's abandoned Aquarium. That over looks most of the zoo, where Heartless will most likely be hanging out. Now to for a way to get Jace AND Joker there without Harley showing up…"

Pulling a scrap piece of paper from a stack next to the monitors Bruce quickly wrote a short simple message. -Jace Abandoned Aquarium Roof 11:00 Tonight Be There Alone- "There, short and to the point. Jace will come out of curiosity at what I want. And Joker will come because he hates being left out of what I'm doing. And I'm betting neither of them will want Harley there because…well…she's Harley." Glancing at the clock, 11:46 am, he got up out of his chair, grabbed a Baterang, and headed top side to his penthouse. Avoiding Alfred, he made his way to the garage and hopped into his stylish Lamborghini. (The one from The Dark Knight LOL could not resist it. Damn hot car!) Peeling out onto the road he made his way quickly toward Arkham.

Elsewhere, in Gotham's infamous Robinson Park, Poison Ivy is having a bit of trouble. "Keep the hell away from me!" Ivy shouts as she summons wild thorny veins to block the path. Heartless laughs insanely and slashes the veins to ribbons. "What's tha matter plant bitch? Afraid of little ol' me? Kahaha!" He lunges at her but gets caught up by more veins." tangle tangle tangle...ugly whores don't know anything but the same old tricks" He grumbles out loud then grins evilly, "But I do!" he swiftly slashes at the veins shredding them. "Now, get over here before I get testy." Stalks towards Ivy again, flexing his glove covered clawed hands. Ivy had been running from Heartless for nearly an hour now. "Where the hell is that stupid flying rodent when you actually NEED him?" Ivy thinks angrily as she summons more vines, then lifts her hand toward a tree commanding it to attack her pursuer.

Heartless growls and grins insanely up at the oncoming tree. "Soo ya can control more than just these pathetic little vines, huh plant bitch? Kahaha! As if that will save you. Get er!" he shouts and points at her. From out of the shadows leaps two pitch black foxes. Ivy stares at the two creatures as they appear, she mutters out loud. "What the…hell? Those creatures are made up of living shadows." As she speaks the two foxes leap at the attacking tree, biting and clawing at it fiercely but doing little real damage. That is until Heartless gives them the command, "Alright boys! Shadow possession on that damn tree! Now! Keep er still so I can get at that plant bitch!" at that the foxes fade into the shadows, moments later the tree shudders and strains to get at Heartless but is enable to move an inch. Frozen in place by its own shadow.