You are in the carriage as it is raining. You see the rain drops fall through the window onto the floor. You move your hand towards the drops. You feel the rain on your hand…
The carriage stops. You fall back slightly. The doors open quickly and the same two men grab your arms… they carry you outside, into the pouring rain. One closes the carriage doors. He grabs your arm again and you are dragged off, into the gates of the Workhouse. They drag you inside as you struggle to break free. People watch you as your pass them… they are frowning. You are brought into a room with a desk and a chair. They force you on the chair. The leave the room, locking you inside. You get up and start banging on the door.
"OPEN UP! OPEN UP! THIS IS A MISTAKE, I TELL YOU! A MISTAKE!"
"No need for that, woman…". You turn around… a man is sitting on the other side of the desk. He waves his hand for you to sit down again. You sit down, not complaining. He frowns, looking at a piece of paper. "Miss _?"
"That is my name…"
"We have a report on you… to be confined in this workhouse until proven sane…"
"But I am… sane! Don't you see? That woman was lying to you!"
"Lying? Why would a former servant to the Queen, lie?"
"What do you mean… former servant?", you say, very unhappy. The man frowns.
"Your nanny used to care for the Queen's children…"
"What? She isn't that old!"
"DO YOU DARE CRITICIZE THE QUEEN?", says the man, his hands on the desk. You stand up.
"I DIDN'T CRITICIZE ANYONE! I'm telling you! She's a liar!"
"THEN IF SHE'S A LIAR, WHAT WITNESSES DO YOU HAVE TO PROVE YOU'RE SANE?"
"Witness… es?". You sit down. He smiles.
"Without witnesses, your sanity is questioned inevitably… so, you mean to tell me there is no one who can testify on your behalf? And don't say your maids… they all told me the stories of your staying out late and deharmonizing the family… nanny included…". You frown. You bow your head. Tears and drops of rain fall on your face…
"Why…"
"Hm?"
"Why should I be forced to live in this place… my money, my family… they were worth nothing… but by making me live here…"
"I LOSE EVERYTHING!"
Joker walks towards the stable. Dagger follows him.
"Boss… it's pointless seeing Father… Sis…"
"I have to discuss something different with him…"
"Are you sure it is?"
"Positive…". Joker walks in the stable. He grabs a horse and starts to take it outside. He gets on the horse. Dagger jumps in front of the horse, holding his arms out.
"YOU CAN'T LEAVE!"
"I MUST! Look… Beast and I will meet you guys on the road…". Dagger lets Joker pass… he watches him leave with a frown.
"Beast…"
"Answer the door for me…". Beast walks over to the door and answers it… it is Joker. He is soaked in rain. Beast's eyes tear up. She gives him a hug.
"Joker…", she says, closing her eyes. He says nothing. He brushes her off of him and walks inside… he is frowning. He walks inside Father's room…
"Beast… leave us, please…"
"Yes, Father…". Beast leaves Joker and Father in the room… alone… she closes the door. Joker looks at Father, who is in his wheelchair by the window, with a frown… water is dripping from his clothes… his makeup is smeared…
"Father…"
"Why have you come?"
"I…"
"You betrayed this Family…"
"Betrayed? What are you…"
"You lied to me… that day you told me you would do anything… to save those children… remember them, Joker? Don't you remember their faces?"
"Father… I…"
"And your Family! Don't they mean anything to you anymore?"
"They…"
"What kind of person are you to go about and tell someone that you've been KILLING PEOPLE… TO SUPPLEMENT… THE QUALITY… OF THOSE LIVING… ON THE STREETS?!"
"I DIDN'T TELL HER ANYTHING!". The Baron looks at Joker. He comes over to him and… slaps his face… hard… there is a mark on Joker's cheek where the Baron slapped him now. Joker's eyes are opened wide. Father looks at him with a scowling face…
"You lied to me… don't cover up what's already been done with more of your foolish lies…". Joker looks at him… how… did he…
"What… who told you…", says Joker, bowing his head in shame. Father smiles slightly.
"It doesn't matter… the point is…", says the old man, wheeling over to the window again. "I can no longer trust you…"
"But… I didn't tell her… about…"
"How do I know that? You're just a… foolish child… you were probably bragging about it…"
"Why… ON EARTH… would I brag something like that to her?", mutters Joker. The old man smiles slightly.
"Why else would a rich girl want to fool around with a dirty spot like you… huh? Do you think it's because you're handsome? Tsheesh… who finds circus men attractive? And you have no financial support whatsoever!"
The truth is that in my eyes you appear to have… more than this rich girl could ever hope to acquire…
"And you're always acting like a lunatic!"
If you're deemed a fool, it's not because you hurt people… it's because of the laughter you bring them, every, single, day of your life!
"Worst of all… your right arm is missing… and is replaced with a temporary… inefficient… skeleton!"
All that matters is that you are alive…
"Nothing of yours…"
I know you have a heart…
"Is worth anything…"
You are so kind… considerate… loving…
"TO THAT USELESS WHORE!"
I… I find it difficult to live up to the kind of person you are… surely I'm not in any way like you…
"Father…". Joker's hands shake. He looks down. He closes his eyes. His teeth clench. "What do you know about love?". The Baron frowns. He looks out the window again.
"I know enough to say that it isn't worth the trouble…"
"So… you never knew… what it feels like… to be loved?". The Baron says nothing. Joker smiles. "Then… don't you… say those things… you… have no right… to say those things… about me…", says Joker, looking up. "Or about her…". The Baron looks at Joker.
"Do you dare question my authority?". Father comes towards Joker. "Did I not save you poor souls from hell? How would you like it if I left you on the streets to rot like a pile of fruit?"
"It wouldn't have mattered…"
"Huh?"
"That place… the one you called your home… that was the workhouse, wasn't it?". The Baron says nothing. Joker smiles. "Inevitably, we were doomed for a life at the workhouse… when I realized that, I… started a circus, because I knew… because I knew we had an opportunity to do so… and that would have happened… with or without you… Father… and as for your authority… yes, you have authority over us… your Family… but not over her…". The Baron says nothing. He frowns. He comes up to Joker and slaps him, repeatedly. Joker takes the abuse, smiling. He stops. Joker looks down at him with a smile. "It doesn't hurt anymore…". The Baron frowns. He turns around, not looking at Joker.
"I wouldn't be so sure about that…"
"Really? Slap me again!", says Joker with a laugh. The Baron scowls.
"No… I do have authority over her… he, he… I suppose you are the only one in this fleet of fools that doesn't know about the fate of your poor lover…"
Fate?
"What?", says Joker, his eyes opened wide. The Baron smiles… he laughs madly.
"YOU FOOL! YOU FOOLISH CHILD! HA, HA! HA, HA, HA!". Joker does not understand… why is… why is he laughing. Father turns around. He looks at him and smiles. "I've got her in the palm of my hand…". Baron Kelvin holds out his hand… the bandages on his face are revealed, and his evil… evil eye…