She Okayyyy people... Quickie announcement, my classes start next Tuesday, so it'll be a while until the next chapter. Hopefully I can try to make chapters in between my studies whoo.
Shout-out to the 7 reviews and 2k reads this fic has gained! It's all thanks to you guys. You are awesome!
Another shout-out to Murdoc Niccals of Gorillaz who now turns 43 if m not mistaken. I love yaaaa!
7. Give it 7 Hours in a Cage, and the Red-Green Robin is Snuffed from its Rage.
He had asked for her today.
That's never happened before. She's always come in on her usual time and went straight to his cell (their now established meeting place) to start their discusion.
But today, the moment Harleen got to her office, there was a patient's notice on her desk, requesting her immediate presence by the Joker.
Many thoughts rushed through the doctor's mind, wondering what would have prompted her patient to personally ask for her.
Certainly it wouldn't be another problem that had happened regarding an orderly, or even a prison guard. Definitely can't involve her receiving any more 'gifts' from him, because twice was far too much than he probably would've been inclined to do.
So what?
"Mista J?" Harleen called once she set foot through the cell corridors.
She's using that nickname for now, because the nickname 'pudding' would be going too far even given their months-long acquiantanceship. And what's more, there could be ears listening all over the place. Better safe than sorry.
Finally, Harleen reached her patient's cell. "Mista J?"
For some reason, the Joker's cell seemed dark even with the lights on, and the patient who resided inside seemed eager to wrap himself in that blackness.
"Oh..Harley... Thanks so much for coming on short notice."
Harleen made her way to her chair, eyes glued onto her patient with combinations of suspicion and curiosity.
"You said that you wanted to see me about something... Is there something you want to discuss?" She asked.
"Yes..." He whispered, unmoving from his place in the shadows. "There is actually...but before I start... can I ask you for something?"
"Of course." Harleen nodded.
"It would be very appreciated if what I'm about to tell you, is not written down, and doesn't leave with you after we're done." He said.
The sense of her professional duty suddenly kicked in. Though it was a bit surprising that he would ask for confidentiality even when she's already granted it to him. Only the Joker could be capable of such.
"Of course." Harleen repeated, though more sincere now.
"Thank you.." The Joker whispered, moving in his dark background. His legs were finally visible to Harleen, but the rest upwards were still hidden.
"It's a very special day today, dear Harley.." He began in a tone that told her he was smiling. "Today marks a very special anniversary for an old friend of mine."
When he breathes for a moment, Harleen doesn't ask a question. The air she breathed in was cold and haunting, and it was a sign that the Joker had something very important running through his mind, and would be very offended should he be interrupted.
"Are you familiar with the masked vigilante of Gotham, Harley?" He asked.
Since he's asking, she says: "Yes. The Batman... Gotham's savior and Nightime Hero..Yeah.. I know him."
The Joker hummed amusedly. "Your tone seems pretty rough.. Don't you like him?"
Harleen pushed up her glasses. "I don't see a masked man doing the police's job as someone I should like. Nor someone I should even personally consider as a hero."
"He done you wrong? Was he a second too late when the night scared you?" The Joker asked.
"The Batman's surfacing in Gotham is what's destroying it. He thinks that his existence is a symbol of hope for people in fear, when in truth, he creates these monsters through people he thinks he's 'saved' and ends up taking care of them when they start crawling about in the city."
Her patient chuckled. "Like me." He said.
The doctor immediately flushed. "Oh... not you.. I-I meant-"
The Joker, however, brushed off her statement.
"No use in denying the truth... In fact, I couldn't have said it any better."
He breathes in again, and Harleen unconsciously begins to synchronize with him.
"But despite all of that 'negativity' and controversies with lil' Batsy, I do admit that he is the most interesting adversary I've ever had." He paused. "Not to mention fun as hell." Then he laughs.
Harleen can see images she's seen on the news before as he fills her on in specific exploits he had with the Batman. She knows the story of rivalry between The Clown Prince of Crime and the Dark Knight, but the Joker was intent on enlightening her furthermore.
"In fact... it was thanks to Batsy that I'm here in the first place.." He said.
He didn't speak for a while so she said: "He caught you."
"I don't think 'caught' would be the right term for what he did to me that night." He sighed deeply which slowly rose into a small fit of laughter. "Very brutal, what he did. Just brutal.. He was lucky the public couldn't see us or he would've been a lesser hero."
There was a point there. She knew that he had a point with all this, but she couldn't see it just yet.
"He used to have a pet bird."
Harleen's face wrinkled. "Bird?"
"A red-green bird... A little chick that followed him around wherever he went."
Upon those two colors that came out from him, Harleen understood whom he was referring to. The Batman had a side-kick. A right hand man who cloaked himself in red and green which was easy to spot in the dead of the night unlike his master's. The Robin, Batman's side-kick.. Or.. used to be at least.
"Do you know what happens to a bird when you put it in a cage, Harley?" He asked now.
"It cries out." She answered.
"Yes!" He laughed. "It cries out.. It beats its wings all over the place, trying to slam against the bars.. And when it knows it can't get out, it cries out some more. Just crying and crying and crying-FOR HIS BATSY MOMMY TO COME SAVE HIM!"
Harleen felt a cold sweat run down from under her hair as the Joker laughed on in a memory she couldn't see.
"A bird unravels itself when its denied freedom...The same thing happens to humans. And that's what I did... I caged Batsy'' little pet birdy... for 7 whole hours."
There's no laughter after this.. There's just him..breathing.. But it sounds strained now. Painfully strained, like he was enduring something.
"He wasnt the green and red hues Batsy made him to be after that...After 7 hours, locked up, no food, tortured physically and mentally, anyone would show their true colors...And it's not all beautiful and prissy like that song suggests." The Joker goes on.
The doctor hadn't realized it, but his face was almost in the (clearer) clear of his cell.
"There's only one thing you can do to a bird who's sung in a cage." He says now, standing up and slowly coming towards the glass.
"And what's that?" She asked, but was afraid of what he'll say next.
With one more step, he was finally into the light, and she understood why he kept himself in the dark corners.
He'd been clawing on his arm. The sleeve was torn and stained with blood. She doesn't know what tool he used, or where he even managed to get it, but whatever it was, it did the job. Of course, she doesn't know what job it is either, and the energy that was between them right now, prevented her from wondering about it.
"You plant him with crowbar kisses." The Joker said
Slowly, his lips went up ear to ear in a mad grin. She was probably unaware of it, but Harleen was crying. There were tears falling over her cheeks, and he grins at them. He can't tell if the tears are from fear or sympathy, but he knows they're for him. And he greedily awaits more.
"You were so happy.." Harleen cried, still unaware of her tears. In fact, she wasn't aware of anything at the moment. Just that the Joker was standing there behind a sheet of glass, bloody and high from a memory of horribly murdering a young boy... And that he was beautiful.
"Keep smiling, dear Harley.." The Joker said, drawing his bloody finger against the glass.
Harleen watched as the blood spread and dripped down. When he was finished, and a bloody smiley face was drawn, Harleen reached a hand out, and touched the glass at the exact same spot his hand was.
"For you.. always, Mista J.
Yeahhh! Told ya you'd love this one! We did the pudding chapter, so it was a must we did the Jason Todd incident too.
Dunno much of how it really went down, but I'm sure it was bloody and with a crowbar.
Title is inspired by the poem 'Inauguries of Innocence' by William Blake. First heard it from Red Dragon.. Soo beautiful.
Joker's poking on the spot where the dead bird tattoo is in Suicide Squad. Coz I like the idea of him tattooing himself haha! Thanks for reading.