Never too Serious 7 - (DCverse, SI)
Yesterday ended in a fun development, but I have to admit that I couldn't put my own unease to rest until I could personally check on Olive's mom.
Sybil looked... fine. Healthier for sure as she was given the chance to sleep, but that last interaction I had with Amity had suggested she would still somehow control her. Something that didn't appear obvious as we met by the park to chat about how my chore of babysitting Olive would develop as she was getting better.
"I have no issues still having her around. Kid is quite a kid, but not the point of being either a troublemaker or a brat."
"I taught her well, I know this much," The woman agreed with a kind smile, "But I understand that I can't truly push this burden on you, and I understand that... I can't exactly as that much from the real Joker."
...
"I am not the 'famous' guy, if that's what worries you."
"It doesn't worry me. I know you are not him. You're... too at ease around Olive. And you are the one that did something too... that woman."
Hm?
"Amity spoke to you?"
"I was aware of her already, but she told me on how a strange man with a white face and green hair did something to lessen her presence and power over me," Sybil explained, then sighed. "Still, I don't think you are a bad person, and I don't want to tell you to stop seeing Olive. She's happy and... you are better."
I held back a surprised look at that, humming as I looked at Olive having fun with some other kids.
"Hm."
"Also, I have... a request. A favor, if possible."
I turned to look at her once more, and I frowned as she was holding her palm up as a tiny flame appeared from it.
"I don't think this is from 'Amity'," Sybil pointed out, sounding quite nervous as she said this. "And I don't know how to handle this if things go out of control so-"
"You'll not lose your kid. I will reach out for some people that have advice on training to control that sort of stuff. Don't sweat it."
The young woman sighed, then smiled. "Once again helping me. I have to question if-"
"You're hot. But I am mostly doing this because I don't want to see another kid's life ruined," I interrupted flatly. "I am not doing it for favors or for something in return, my reward is that your daughter doesn't lose what's left of her childhood due to stuff beyond her grasp."
...
Sybil's smile widened as she turned her gaze back to her daughter's game. "Thank you then."
She ended up inviting me for dinner at home for the next week. I told her I would have first checked if I didn't have any issues in my schedule, but I would definitely love to pass by. Right now, all I needed to do was to get my plans finalized in regard to Mayor Hady and...
Well, handle a new situation that I got told about once I got to base.
I was planning to grind my brain against more paperwork when I realized that we had a 'guest'. And not one that I wanted around. The men said that he got in by confidently stating I had invited him. Considering who it was, that wasn't a possibility, and I was already scowling at what was to come."
"Ah yes, the newest riddle in-"
"The fuck do you want Nygma?" I interrupted dryly. "I really don't have the time or the patience for this."
The green-themed Riddler hummed in surprise as I spared him a very condescending look. He was alone, he definitely wasn't planning anything stupid, but I doubt he was expecting me to be a 'sane' Joker. Or else, he would have had someone to back him up.
"Clues, and a friend. A shared ideal-"
"Debatable, especially since you are inherently bad," I lamented flatly. "And what would your plan even me? Weed out the dumb from the smart in Gotham? Trick Batman into losing his mind? Provide grandiose technological advances by robbing some charity work?"
I walked up to Nygma, and I got very close and personal. The confident mask was slipping as the little cockroach was showing his true self as he realized this wasn't a 'friendly environment'.
"I-I guess I may have planned this one wrong."
I sighed. "Riddle me this, Nygma. What's the three-word sentence that involves an organ of yours, and an act of violence."
He tried to back away, but I held him still by the shoulder, while my other hand had my Glock aimed at his chest.
"S-Shoot my hea-"
BANG!
The few gang members that had assisted quietly to the scene were stunned by what had happened. One thing was killing the Joker, another was killing the Riddler. One was a force of nature that would persist even when the representation perished but...
There was just an Edward Nygma. And right now he was dying as he held onto his chest, the damage inflicted by the gunwound preventing him to do much more than that. I looked at him, I saw life vanish from his gaze, and I drew a lengthy sight as I turned to see every single face looking at me.
"As I have promised. No more games."
The message was received, and I had a few experienced minions carry Nygma's body to the room where we would get it processed the same way we disposed of the Joker's body. I wasn't leaving any trace of it out of fear that some earthly bullshit could bring him and others up.
And, even then- one of the thugs decided to bravely ask a good question.
"Are you sure it was a good idea, boss?"
The others weren't scared or anything, but as I sat in my office, and the one asking was one of those assigned to destroy Nygma's body and told to confirm the process' completion, I could tell that this was a heavy topic. And the answer to that can't be justified in a few words. Yet I did nonetheless.
"No. But it isn't bad either."
After all, it wasn't like I would just start killing all criminals. The Riddler was a main one- a member of the Gallery of the Rogue. People that were mostly impossible to redeem. He was inherently evil even before donning the mask of The Riddler - Edward Nygma had already a bad past, and didn't need Batman to become what he was. Hell, he didn't even need to wait for Bruce Wayne's return to his company to quit and become The Riddler.
While he wasn't insane like the Joker, he was dangerous and he couldn't be rehabilitated. And thus, he was a menace to society - one that someone had to remove from causing further pain.
There wasn't a need for a complex reason to kill the Riddler, but it was fair to remind ourselves... not everyone can be judged with the same punishment.
-d-d-d-d-
Jason Todd was quite sure the Riddler was dead after seeing him enter the new Joker's Lair and then hearing a gunshot ringing from the building.
Bruce was going to be pissed to hear this, and was definitely going to get alarmed by the news, which is why the young man was planning to keep quiet about this piece of news. After the Joker, the Riddler was a genuine monster.
Edward Nygma didn't have any 'sad' backstory that could justify his own brand of madness, and there would be a reasonable amount of thought put out by Jason over this action being as reasonable as taking out the Clown.
Plus, this also put a stop to whatever plan the smug bastard may have had in the eventuality of a tag-team with the Joker. And it reinforced the few points the new Joker had raised as they spoke with one another.
Definitely not the old Joker, but still owning a degree of maliciousness and violence that made the act stand up just 'sufficiently'. It wasn't enough to make him the ultimate Joker, but it made things easier to monitor as he carefully avoided getting caught red-handed in anything 'legally wrong'.
Even if he was caught now, the new 'Joker without Smiles' could easily defend himself from any potential crime leveled against him. He was being too kind with his goons when compared to his predecessor for any of them to spill the beans, and there was a high chance that he was hiding away critical clues that could put the police on his ass.
Jason was, surprisingly enough, not planning to remove him. Yet. Not when he appeared to have a fairly reasonable mindset on handling the bigger shots in Gotham. And if he was truly planning to exploit the political corruption to pass reforms... maybe that wouldn't be bad.
Bruce had always preached on why he couldn't lobby for any politicians with how things have turned out ugly in past attempts, but that didn't mean that it had to be a clean candidate. Everyone now lived as shades of gray in Gotham City, and Jason was a darker blend than he would have preferred or wanted when he was younger.
But life doesn't work with wants and hopes.
Even the whole 'ghost exorcism' bit could be verified by a quick look into the old libraries and by checking the widowed woman and girl that Jason saw the Joker spending time with: Amity Arkham existed, and she was a descendant of the two. And it was clear that the 'fire accident' that killed Sybil's husband was actually caused by the woman herself while possessed by her ancestor's ghost.
By all means, this could all be a ploy to get more allies or to get 'good boy' points as the Joker definitely knew he was getting looked into by the most of the Bat Family in Gotham at this point, but there was no way to verify this.
Still, the current situation wasn't as ugly as it could have been. Especially since the old Joker was dead, the new one wasn't outright breaking the psyche of people all around him and... And maybe there was a chance to exploit this very unusual situation.
Sure, Jason couldn't call it if the guy meant it that he wasn't insane or trying to attack Batman (even as he knew what their names were somehow), and his instinct said that he was still a threat to some extent, but there was one way to surprise the Joker of old (and perhaps also the new one), and that was by involving a new element altogether and...
See if he could be as good as a samaritan as he was with two surviving Silverlock ladies.
AN
Prepare the adoption paper, the Joker is getting a troubled teenager in his care, and she is... a little bit unexpected by anyone here. I will just say that it is not a common pick since she is a 'recent entry' in the comics, and one with a rather troubled parentage.