Aaahhiiiiiee, as the cajuns say.
Those tuning in to Gotham's nightly news are in for a surprise. Of course, it's hardly a surprise at all anymore, is it? Even the poor reporter seems less unnerved and shaky as he makes the announcement than an anchor would be in any other place in the country. He only stammers a little as he announces that they've been sent a tape and that the sender asked it be aired live and unedited without preview. He even has the presence of mind to warn that neither their program nor the network are responsible for what's to follow.
There's some static for a second or two, darkness, then light like the end of an eclipse.
"Ha..ah..Lens cap. Woops."
The man's voice is familiar to most of Gotham now, even before his scarred and greasepaint covered face comes into view. He has a lot of beads hanging around his neck and one of those yard-of-beer novelty glasses. He blows a cardboard party horn and waves it at the camera.
"Hi again." He waves. "So, Mardi Gras --Fat Tuesday: It's comin' up and we're...ah..we're all REAL excited. Right? WAKE UP!" He swings the camera with one hand and tosses the glass of what might be beer with the other. Three people --a family, if gender and size are any indication-- are tied to chairs under a cheap, metallic Mardi Gras banner wearing colorful feathered masks. When the liquid hits them they sputter awake and begin sobbing. As the camera fights to auto-focus between the clown and his prisoners, it becomes evident that they all have very red smiles for weeping people.
"Big smiles, everybody!" His voice goes up an octave. "We're on TeeeVeeeeee!"
He moves to let the camera focus and hits a button on a remote in his hand to zoom in. The family is smiling. Their mouths have been cut and stitched and sutured into a permanent grin. The little one doesn't seem quite as feisty as the other two. This seems to trouble them, though it looks like they can't see through the masks.
The camera unfocuses again when the Joker's face comes back into view all too close.
"I can't WAIT to share this BIG weekend with all of you. All gathered up and ...ah...drunk and happy in city square. Whyyyyy don't ya take the train there? Huh?"
He laughs loudly and the woman behind him screams. He storms back, shouting in much more gruff and deep voice for her to shut up. He slaps her a couple of times and she's subdued back into quiet, heavy sobs. The child's head lulls forward onto his chest and she begins panicking, the man following quickly behind. 'Tommy? Tommy? Oh god...' and they're told to shut up again before the clown returns to addressing the camera.
"We're gonna have such FUN!"
He throws some of the beads at the camera, ruining the focus when some of them hang over the lens. He kisses the woman's cheek, making her scream, and then backhands her again. Lifts the boy's head for a moment, then lets it fall again. "Looks like Tommy won't get to see the parade."
Cackling laughter follows and the video cuts out.
There's some static for a second or two, darkness, then light like the end of an eclipse.
"Ha..ah..Lens cap. Woops."
The man's voice is familiar to most of Gotham now, even before his scarred and greasepaint covered face comes into view. He has a lot of beads hanging around his neck and one of those yard-of-beer novelty glasses. He blows a cardboard party horn and waves it at the camera.
"Hi again." He waves. "So, Mardi Gras --Fat Tuesday: It's comin' up and we're...ah..we're all REAL excited. Right? WAKE UP!" He swings the camera with one hand and tosses the glass of what might be beer with the other. Three people --a family, if gender and size are any indication-- are tied to chairs under a cheap, metallic Mardi Gras banner wearing colorful feathered masks. When the liquid hits them they sputter awake and begin sobbing. As the camera fights to auto-focus between the clown and his prisoners, it becomes evident that they all have very red smiles for weeping people.
"Big smiles, everybody!" His voice goes up an octave. "We're on TeeeVeeeeee!"
He moves to let the camera focus and hits a button on a remote in his hand to zoom in. The family is smiling. Their mouths have been cut and stitched and sutured into a permanent grin. The little one doesn't seem quite as feisty as the other two. This seems to trouble them, though it looks like they can't see through the masks.
The camera unfocuses again when the Joker's face comes back into view all too close.
"I can't WAIT to share this BIG weekend with all of you. All gathered up and ...ah...drunk and happy in city square. Whyyyyy don't ya take the train there? Huh?"
He laughs loudly and the woman behind him screams. He storms back, shouting in much more gruff and deep voice for her to shut up. He slaps her a couple of times and she's subdued back into quiet, heavy sobs. The child's head lulls forward onto his chest and she begins panicking, the man following quickly behind. 'Tommy? Tommy? Oh god...' and they're told to shut up again before the clown returns to addressing the camera.
"We're gonna have such FUN!"
He throws some of the beads at the camera, ruining the focus when some of them hang over the lens. He kisses the woman's cheek, making her scream, and then backhands her again. Lifts the boy's head for a moment, then lets it fall again. "Looks like Tommy won't get to see the parade."
Cackling laughter follows and the video cuts out.