Chapter 15: Better Class of Criminal
By the time midday came around The Joker and Jester were ready and waiting. He had briefed her on his plan or rather as he called it, 'idea' of going to pay Harvey Dent a visit in hospital.
He had asked Scarlett to get him a nurses outfit so early that morning she had gone home to raid her closet finding one that was given to her by mistake and was far too large.
It was an odd turn her life had taken but she was rather enjoying it and she could no longer see her life any other way, the thoughts of going back to work filled her with dread, but the thought of a life without Jack was even worse.
She had agreed to go with him and a few of the 'boys' to the meeting with the mob that afternoon, to pick up the Joker's payment.
Jester prepared herself to leave as she pulled on her boots, the boys switched on the TV and something caught her ear. With one boot on and the other off she hurried over in an odd limp-y fashion and snatched the remote out the goon's hand before turning the channel back to what it was just on.
On the TV was the usual news anchor for GCN and below him was the caption.
Later on GCN
REVEALED: BATMAN'S TRUE IDENTITY
In the upper left corner of the screen was a video link to another man.
"He's a credible source, an M & A lawyer from a leading consultancy. He says he's waited as long as he can for Batman to do the right thing. Now he's taking matters into his own hands. We'll be live at 5 with the true identity of the Batman. Call in at 5 to have your say." Said the News anchor and Jester quickly pulled on her other boot before running to tell Joker.
"So he knows who the Bat really is and he going to broadcast it on TV," clarified Joker looking up at her from behind his desk, she simply nodded. He burst out into hysterical laughter and she was a little taken aback. She had expected him to be pleased but not this happy, but then this was Jack and he didn't do things by half measures.
"Well you said there was a number do you remember it?" he asked and she nodded he held out a pen and scrap of paper and she wrote down the number that had come up on screen.
"Well done Jester!" he said laughing again before he pocketed the number and stood pulling on his coat.
At 3 thanks to the Joker's police 'connections,' they were told about Maroni going to see Gordon. The knew he had ratted them out having told Gordon where The Joker was going to be. The 'boys' were sent on a small errand after that to fill the basement of Gotham General with a large amount of ammonium nitrate. They had it rigged it up within the hour but were not back in time for the meeting so The Joker and Jester were left with just four goons. The hospital explosion would be the distraction they needed to get the cops off their backs while they paid Harvey a visit.
She was surprised how quickly the Joker could get things done, and it was somewhat of an honour to witness him at work.
He caught her staring at him when he got off the phone with one of the goons and shot her a quizzical look.
"What?" he asked his eyebrows knitting together.
"Nothing. It's just awe inspiring to watch your brain work. I mean less than an hour ago you were told about a police ambush and already you have a way out and a pretty spectacular one at that. I just forget sometimes that you are an absolute genius" she said and he chuckled.
"Come on, let's go check on our guest," he said, as he walked past her his hand ran along her side, it was some kind of a habit now.
After a night in the boot of a stolen cop car, Lau was surprisingly well, and Jester squeezed his cheek playfully when they opened the boot to make sure he wasn't dead, yet.
The meeting with the mob was on a container ship, the money was already there and waiting. At 4 they left for the meeting, knowing full well the police were planning their ambush.
They arrived at the docks just past 4 and The Joker jumped out the van before offering a hand to Jester which she gladly took. The goons followed behind with a bound and gagged Lau. The docks were empty apart from the enormous red coloured container ship. It was enormous and Jester looked around the ship curiously. There must have been thousands of shipping containers all stacked at least ten high. As a door to one creaked slightly, something snapped inside of Jester and she stopped in her tracks. She couldn't tell if she wanted to laugh or cry. Joker turned back to look at her, watching the turmoil going on inside her head.
"Come on Jester," he said and she seemed to come back to herself a twisted grin spreading across her face. She skipped over to him laughing slightly to herself.
He led them down into a large room within the container ship, in the middle of the room was a huge pile of money. It must have been at least half a storey high and spread out across much of the room.
"Put him on the top" the Joker said to the goons motioning to Lau, and they dragged him up quickly. Either Lau was stupid or very clever as he did not struggle as the Joker climbed up the pile behind the goons with a chair. He placed it on the top and the goons pulled Lau into it before the Joker dismissed them and left them to go look out for the Chechen.
He began to tie Lau, who was now dressed in a straight jacket to the seat.
"He's here" shouted the voice of the goon no less than a few minutes later and the Joker looked up from his place, before ducking back down to continue tying Lau to the chair securely.
Jester stood back to lean on the wall as she heard footsteps approaching. The Chechen was a skinny man with a shallow face and sharp features and he smiled disgustingly at Jester as he entered the room.
"Not so crazy as you look." said the Chechen loudly to the Joker who began to stand up on top of the pile.
"I told you, I'm a man of my word," said Joker standing up fully, on top of the pile of money before he patted Lau on the head sarcastically and jumped down the pile, sliding down most of it to come to a standing stop in front of one of the goons. He looked back at the money as piles of it slid down in his wake.
"Where's the Italian?" the Joker asked though he knew full well that Maroni would not be coming.
"I don't know, but he's not here so he doesn't get a share. We go 50/50" said Chechen in his broken English. The Joker shrugged at this before picking up wads of money and beginning to launch them up at the Lau hitting him in that face a few times.
"Please" Lau begged and Jester laughed loudly as yet another wad of money hit him.
"Joker-man, what you do with all your money?" asked the Chechen pointing to the pile with his lit cigar.
"You see, I'm a guy of simple taste," said the Joker turning to the Chechen.
"I enjoy... dynamite … and gunpowder... and gasoline," he said the last one much louder than the rest. The Joker took a step back, as a goon with a gas can came in and began to soak the bottom layer of cash in petrol.
"What the...?" exclaimed the Chechen rushing towards the goon angrily.
"Ah, dah, dah. dah." sung the Joker pointing his gun at the Chechen who stopped dead in his tracks.
"And you know the thing that they all have in common?" the Joker asked the Chechen approaching him again.
"They're cheap," he said with a slight growl in his voice. Jester glanced down at her phone, checking the time, it was just past 5, and she shot the Joker a meaningful look.
"You said you were a man of your word," said the Chechen the cigar in his mouth causing him to slur.
"Oh, I am." said the Joker before he pulled the cigar from the Chechen's mouth. He held the cigar up blowing on the end a few times.
"I'm only burning my half," he said before he turned and through the cigar at the petrol-soaked pile of money. It was engulfed in flames in seconds and Lau began to wiggle in his restraints. The Chechen face went grey and he looked at the burning cash in horror.
"All you care about is money." spat the Joker to him.
"This town deserves a better class of criminal... and I'm gonna give it to them." said the Joker his face close to the Chechen's.
"Tell your men they work for me now." said the Joker poking the Chechen hard in the chest with his gun.
"This is my city," he said and the Chechen moved his face away.
"They won't work for a freak," the Chechen said.
"Freak." mimicked the Joker making fun of the Russian's accent.
"Why don't we cut you up into little pieces and feed you to your pooches? Hm?" the Joker said as he brought his knife out and waved it in front of the Chechen's face.
"And then we'll see how loyal a hungry dog really is." shouted the Joker, as a tow of the Chechen men came up behind the Chechen and held a blade to the Russians throat, before pulling him away.
"It's not about money, it's about sending a message." muttered the Joker to himself, before he pulled his phone out his pocket and began to dial.
"Everything burns" he cried loudly as Jester began to laugh.
"I had a vision" began the Joker into the phone, after a few moments Jester moved over to him and began to play with the buttons of his waistcoat.
"Of a world without Batman. The mob ground out a little profit and the police tried to shut them down one block at a time. And it was so boring! I've had a change of heart. I don't want Mr Reese spoiling everything but why should I have all the fun? Let's give someone else a chance. If Coleman Reese isn't dead in 60 minutes then I blow up a hospital" said the Joker before he hung up and pushed his phone back into his pocket. He looked down at the raven haired clown still playing with the buttons of his waistcoat.
He reached out and pulled her chin up so she was looking at him before his arms moved to encircle her waist, he leant in and kissed her hard and she let out a squeal of delight. He bit hard on her bottom lip, drawing blood and she grinned at him.
"Come on gorgeous," he said taking her hand in his and leading her away from the flaming pile of cash.
The Joker really was a man of his word as before they left the ship, he did indeed chop the Chechen up into little pieces and feed him to his beloved Rottweilers.
"Can we keep them" Jester cooed as she knelt down and stroked one's head as it ate lumps of its old master.
"You want too?" The Joker asked as she began to scratch the dog behind the ear, causing its back leg to kick strangely.
"Yes, please, they're so cute and they are trained as attack dogs, they could be useful," she whined looking up at him with big eyes.
"Sure, put the dogs in the van," the Joker said turning to his new men, who without question they lead the three enormous dogs away.
"Thank you," she said getting up and moving closer to him.
"Anything for you" he purred against her ear as he brought her close to him again.