Disclaimer: I do not own Batman or any of the characters he is associated with, they are the property of DC Comics.
Author's notes: The updates are coming later and later, uni and work are taking up a lot of my time. Anyhow, I try to write as much as I can, and hope that you will be patient and indulgent with me :} This chapter was originally going to be two, but I had the idea of working on them in parallel to make the contrasts apparent. As always, please rate and review ! All criticisms, inputs and suggestions are much appreciated !
Chapter 6: The two ends of the spectrum
The Joker was having a whale of a time. He had escaped from Arkham the night before without even trying! And Black Mask certainly wanted to keep him happy; he gave the Clown Prince of Crime a group of ten men to answer to his every need with orders to obey him totally. For the moment, he had made them do stupid things seemingly for his own entertainment (he'd told them to throw cream pies at each other, give a puppet show and other such nonsense) whereas all these things, despite being incredibly funny, were actually a test to see just how obedient his new pets really were.
Bruce Wayne stared at the four people stood before him incredulous at what they had just said. Not only did they think him incapable of carrying out this investigation due to the emotional turmoil he was currently in, Dick Grayson, Barbara Gordon and Alfred Pennyworth; the three people he trusted more than anyone else in the world, the only three to know his secret. The only three till now of course, for they had gone behind his back and brought Selina Kyle, Catwoman of all people, into it. Though seeing her without worrying about giving something away was comforting and even a relief, they had no right to reveal his identity to her. He finally stood and the four before him seemed to shrink back as he drew himself up to his full height and, despite his feeling somewhat naked without his Batman suit, intimidated the four.
"So! Tell me, Romie!" Joker said, ignoring the growl coming from behind the skeletal mask at his constant use of the nickname Romie. "What exactly am I doing here, besides having your men ridicule themselves in front of me?" He giggled uncontrollably, punctuating the laughter with gasps of pain when his body moved within his cast. "It's really quite simple, Clown." Sionis started. "My traditional operations aren't making me the money I should be making, so I think that they could do with your own… Artistic touch." He said these last words slowly and, despite his face being hidden by the wooden mask, the smile he was wearing was obvious; a grin that Joker shared when he realized just how much Black Mask needed him, even though he would never admit it. The Lord of Gotham took his leave after ordering the Prince of Crime to start planning a first, quite small operation for him. Joker called one of his dogs over (he really called this one dog because he had an ugly, sullen face; he even made him wear a collar) and made him draw up the plans for one of the banks the Penguin, Gotham's Crime Baron, used to store the laundered money he made.
"How dare you reveal my identity to HER?" Bruce started shouting at the three others, completely ignoring Selina Kyle's protest at his talking of her as if she wasn't there. "You went behind my back, conspired against me and told one of Gotham's most notorious criminals- Yeah, yeah, I know you're refined!" he sneered as Selina let out a very catlike hiss of protest. "But all the same, you three have gone against everything we've ever stood for and have betrayed my trust!" He took a moment to take a breath, glaring at all four people. During this moment Alfred, who had been the most silent of them, drew a calm collected breath.
"Bruce, you must understand. We can see how much this has affected you, and I think you do not realize it yourself. We four are the people who care the most about you in the world and, should your parents be alive to see the tragedy that has befallen you, that has befallen all of us, they would have made it so you do not suffer, which is why we implore you to take up our offer. Take some time off with Ms. Kyle. It would do you a world of good, we are sure." The old man said all this in such a calm and soothing manner, but his eyes were desperate, begging Bruce to accept.
The others meanwhile merely nodded their agreement, a small smile playing on Selina's lips. The part about their shared holiday had been her idea. She loved the Batman, and now she fully understood the reason why he had risked his life for the sake of Gotham, she was filled with an admiration and sadness that made her every bone ache to soothing his pain. Bruce seemed to realize this finally, and sat back down with a look of defeat about him.
Joker started laughing madly once again. Strapped to an upright gurney, he surveyed the board in front of him where Fish - he had made the henchman with rather large lips wear a goldfish bowl over his head – had written down everything that Black Mask would need to prepare the coup on Penguin's Central Bank of Gotham. He had to say, even in his drugged up, groggy state, when he started planning operations, his mind became clear. Not only that, it looked to be one of the most fun operations he'd ever planned. And he'd be right in the middle of it. With Sionis' unlimited resources, he would be able to fashion a device to drill open the vault on the end of his own gurney. A stroke of brilliance if ever he'd had one! He contemplated having the animals summon Black Mask, but he decided to take a moment to fully appreciate his own genius without being interrupted by any onlookers other than his pets. He continued to laugh and laugh until he felt pressure on his lungs and had to stop from fear of suffocating, but even this failed to wipe the psychotic grin from his face. "Get ready, Bats. I'm home, Darling." He cackled.
Bruce reluctantly rose and retired to the master bedroom, the events of the evening had exhausted him. He realized that his three friends would not have acted as such had he not been so affected by the death of Jason Todd. As he changed into his nightclothes, he reflected on the course of the evening. If Dick had thought they could trust Selina Kyle with his secret, he decided to do the same. After all, Dick had kept a clear head and a calm determination about him ever since he started the investigation into Joker's escape. He couldn't help but feel proud of his former apprentice, he had come so far since they had parted ways and had taken the name and identity of Nightwing. He let out a deep breath as he sank onto the four poster bed. It wasn't till he felt wetness on his pillow that he realized he had started silently crying. He felt the small weeps shake his body and curled up into the covers. He started as he felt Selina Kyle climb into the bed and lay her head on his chest. He relaxed however as she started tracing large, soothing circles on his chest, a soft purr escaping from her throat. Maybe a vacation is exactly what I need. Bruce reflected. And he couldn't think of anyone he would rather share it with than the woman embracing him in that moment.
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