Authors Note:
I have never written a court scene before, so I apologize before I begin.
Please Review!
Chapter 27:
"Why do I have to be here?" The Joker flashes an annoyed grin towards his right, where Commissioner Gordon sits happily. Jim turns his head, looks down at the Jokers handcuffs and mutters with a smirk "Because I have handcuffed you here…and this is where you will stay."
The Joker groans as he looks around him. His black eyes pierce their way around the large, white courtroom, that is filled with hundreds of people. The Joker glances towards the jury to see the usual number of seats taken, but when his eyes meet their own, they turn their heads away in fear.
The Joker giggles at this and the Commissioner sighs deeply before commenting "…If only this judge would get here faster…" The Joker cocks up his eyebrows and asks while wiggling in his chair "Why? So they can convict me earlier?" Jim bites his bottom lip in shame and then answers honestly "I honestly hope not."
The Joker clears his throat and whispers, "Well…because I'm stuck here…I am going to have some fun of my own." The Joker turns his head to see a young couple sitting right behind him. The woman has brown hair with blue eyes and so does the man. The Joker winks at them and says in his usual high-pitched tone "Remember, have safe sex."
The Commissioner gasps, turns around and apologizes for the Joker to the shocked and appalled couple. The Joker begins to tap his fingers and then mutters impatiently "When are we going back to Arhkam? Today's pizza day and I don't want to miss it." Commissioner Gordon chuckles at this and then says in a calm tone "It's almost like your acting like a fool today."
The Joker licks his bottom lip, eyes the Commissioner carefully and allows him to continue "Be good, Jack. This is an important day in your life. Oh, by the way, if the judge addresses you, speak respectfully to her." The Joker smirks and coughs out "Sure…why not?" Jim Gordon rolls his eyes towards the Joker and then looks over at the opposing table with old lawyer Mr. Swanson ready to commit the Joker into a lifetime at Arkham.
"Please rise for Judge Marie Hodgesen," the officer standing in front of the Judge's fine seat commands the courtroom and everyone but the Joker stands. The Judge eyes him carefully and asks, "Is there a problem, Mr. Napier?" The Joker giggles infamously and then tries to lift his handcuffs by saying, "Yes…just a tiny one. You see. I can't stand…because, I'm handcuffed to this desk."
Gordon shakes his head in shame, searches in his pocket for the key and then removes the handcuffs off the Joker's wrists. The Joker stands, smiles directly at the judge and mutters in a sly tone "Your majesty." The Judge puffs in an annoyed tenor, sits down on her throne and the rest of the courtroom sits down a long with the Joker, which Gordon then proceeds to re-cuff him.
The Judge begins "Case number 5789, involving the terrorizing, mass murderer villain that calls himself the Joker. Prisoner wishes to plead not guilty…." Suddenly some of the crowd chuckles and the Joker sucks on his bottom lip tightly. Before the Judge can continue, the Joker lifts his pinky finger in attempt to get her attention. It does and he says in a soft tone "If I may interrupt…I wouldn't call myself a villain."
The judge smiles at him and replies, "That is for the jury to decide, Mr. Napier." The Joker rolls his eyes and says under his breath "Yeah, leave my life in the fate of the idiotic." Abruptly, the audience begins to chatter amongst themselves and the judge shouts out "Order in the court!"
A few moments of silence follows before the Judge commands Mr. Swanson to begin. Mr. Swanson chuckles and says, "I wish to speak with the Joker, your honor, in front of the masses, of course. " The Judge nods as Lawyer Swanson gets up and stands in front of the Joker while asking "Your name please?"
The Joker smirks at this and replies, "You already know that… ask me something else." Mr. Swanson smiles at this and continues "Well, Mr. Napier. You've got quite a history." The Joker chuckles and looks at the old lawyer in front of him and answers with a laugh "And you look old enough to be part of history." The Commissioner crosses his arms across his chest, looks towards Jack and shakes his head in irritation. Mr. Swanson looks towards the Judge and says, "Your honor, I have just presented to you my first point. It is impossible to have a normal conversation with this thing…."
"Out of order"! The Commissioner yells, and then pleads with the judge "I am very sorry, your honor. I am here representing Ms. Rachel Dawes and as an officer of Gotham for decades, I have to beg you to understand that no man…no matter what he has done in his life time…should ever be called a thing."
The Judge nods, looks over at the Joker's plain, make up less face and then whispers, "I agree. Mr. Swanson please…." The old lawyer nods his head in agreement and continues, "Well, my next point is that… Mr. Jack Napier has committed murder, theft…treason…. the list goes on. Only our fathers, who have let us believe that every man should have free justice, unfortunately has set up this trial. On the other hand, Mr. Jack Napier does not deserve free justice for he has his father."
"Ah-ta-ta-ta…. hold on a moment…. sick-o." The Joker stutters out, his face filling up with anger as he mutters, "My father…was a fiend. If he would have done what he did to me…to you…you would be feeling…. things very differently." The Commissioner bites his bottom lip and decides this is the opportune moment to get a pile of piety from the jury.
The Commissioner clears his throat and asks, "Well, what did he do to you, Jack?" The Joker looks over his shoulder and shakes his head, not wanting to mention the story. But Mr. Swanson takes this as his opportune moment to take a shot at his opponent "A clown and a coward." He chuckles at this and then the Joker glances at him with his dark eyes. Mr. Swanson sits back in his chair as the Judge announces, "Commissioner Gordon, unless you have a very serious argue…."
"…. Wait a second, Judge. For one thing, Mr. Swanneee…. bad knee…whatever it is. I am not a clown. And second, I am definitely not a coward." The Joker pauses, looks directly at the jury while saying "Have any of you…normals…. Has your father ever raped you?" The Joker shakes his head and continues quickly "No, that doesn't…grasp it. (Pause) Have you ever had…the one person you thought you could trust…of the same sex…of the same bloodline…force you into a closet…and do things to you that went beyond your control...when you were the mere age of only… four?"
The Jury looks stunned as the Joker continues "Have you ever had your…father…. come at you…with a shovel…threatening you to shove it up your anis if you don't do what he wants!" The Joker chuckles, looks back towards the Judge and mutters "But of course…no one cares about Jack-e. No…one…ever did. So, let's just arrest me and get this whole thing over with…hmm?"
The Judge looks at the Joker in pathos and whispers "Not right now…Mr. Napier. We have a trial to finish." The Commissioner puts up his hand and mentions "Permission to speak your honor." The Judge nods, and the Commissioner stands, pushes his chair back and looks towards the Jury while he says "Look, I am not a lawyer. And I didn't prepare myself for this like Tony Swanson has. I came here to give this man a fair trial…not anything else. (Pause) Most of you are probably wondering if I am on some type of prescribed medicine for defending Mr. Napier, but I have seen a side of him that few have, and I am here to represent that side."
The Judge nods and asks, "Commissioner Gordon, how can you represent a man that stands for everything you don't?" Jim smiles, looks down and replies "Because I think of my wife…and my children…and I realize that nothing…is more important to me than them. The Joker…" the audience suddenly murmurs as the Commissioner corrects himself "I apologize, Mr. Napier… has been deprived of a family ever since he could remember. I don't think it is right to judge him if you don't know how he feels."
Mr. Swanson smirks at this and asks, "It sounds to me that you are undermining the Judge's skills, Commissioner. Do you doubt that she cannot judge this man?" Jim shakes his head and replies "Any person can judge…but if they judge correctly…. is different. And I am willing to bet my badge…that the Joker…Jack Napier…the man sitting before you, with all the pain in his heart residing in his scars…. that he will never judge another single soul again…. or kill one for that matter."
The Joker chuckles at this as the courtroom speaks all at once. The Judge clears her throat and speaks "Court will commence once again tomorrow morning at 9 am, unless anyone has anything to add." Complete silence fills the large room, and the Joker watches Gordon carefully until….
"I have something to say." A rugged male voice calls out from the crowd and then he approaches the bench. Mr. Swanson chuckles and whispers, "This is not the time for your play boy antics, Mr. Wayne." Bruce smirks at him and says in a calm voice "I believe, I may have some information that you may be interested in, Mr. Swanson."
Jim sits down once again, clears his throat as the Joker whispers under his breath "Great bat boy is here…" The Commissioner's eyes widen and then he turns to the Joker and asks "What?" The Joker's mouth widens into a tiny 'o' as Bruce speaks "I have personal experience with this mad man…and I am not here to in any way see him released without penalty. However…. if this man should be released, it is only for one reason. That the light cannot exist without the dark. And what is considered the light? Wealthy men like myself that do not question authority? No…that is what we are meant to believe…."
"Objection, your honor. This is not a philosophy class."
"Over ruled," she answers back interested in what Bruce Wayne is speaking of. "Well, as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted…the Joker and the Batman have had their odds and ends…and I know who the Batman is…."
The crowd begins to gasp before Bruce continues "And you all know who he is too. Because he exists in all of us…but…well, so does the Joker. The problem is…no one has ever given myself…and all of you…. that little push needed to step into the darkness. For if they had, you would turn into a Joker…a monster… a freak."
The Joker's eyebrows knit as Bruce continues "I think we should all realize that this man, has never seen light in his life, and that has caused him to become the darkness. But…just recently…. my best friend, your assistant District Attorney, Ms. Rachel Dawes…. has changed the Joker so drastically that he has begun to step into the light…and all he really needed…was one little push too. Just like all of us."
Gordon looks over at Bruce and flashes him a smile as he finally concludes "I think we need to give this man what he wants…. if he wants to blow up buildings…release him for a period of six months and let him be a demolition worker. If he wants to use a knife…let him be a pumpkin carver…. don't lock him up. If he escapes…you're going to regret it."
Bruce looks over at the Joker, and then at the Judge who says "The Jury will discuss this matter tonight and the decision will be made tomorrow morning at 9 am." The Judge leaves, followed by the Jury and then the audience. The Joker chews on his tongue lightly before he says, "That was quite a speech you had there, B."
Bruce smirks, looks around the room quickly and mutters, "Cut the B crap out, I know you know who I am." The Joker giggles and then Bruce continues "Oh by the way, you can thank Rachel for the speech. She has been practicing it for weeks, but with what happened to her…I decided to step in."
The Commissioner puts out his hand to Bruce and he shakes it while saying in complete surpirse at the sudden realization "Well, Mr. Wayne. You were honestly the last person I would ever suspect…well, all I can say is... thank you." Bruce shakes his hand and leaves while saying "You'll never need to thank me." And suddenly, the courtroom is empty except for the Joker and the Commissioner who both sit there in awe. But the Joker breaks the silence by asking "Can we go back to Arkham now, so I can have my slice of pizza?"
Authors Note:
Not my best written chapter, mainly because I wanted to focus on the dialogue.
Anyway, please Review! Thanks a lot!