Team Knight - Round 4 - Fic - Beneath the Scars
Title: Beneath the Scars
Author: Chosenfire
Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN. All recognizable characters and situations belong to their respective owners and I make no profit off of playing with them. Song is by Papa Roach
Fandom: Batman (The Dark Knight)
Prompt: Team Knight Round 4 “Role-Reversal”
Character/Pairings: Batman/Joker, Bruce/Jack
Word Count: 1,156
Rating: R
Spoilers: Batman Begins and The Dark Knight
Summary: No one knows the truth behind the Joker. Where he came from? Who he is? Truth is he had been there the entire time, and he was a lot closer than anyone could imagine. What if he wasn’t the villain of the tale, but the hero?
Author’s Notes: Beta’d by heatherhouse. Any comments greatly appreciated. This idea came from a great love of Heath Ledger and the minimal amount of comic knowledge. Mostly I am just stealing the name. Also, there is a Smallville reference in there for those that follow that show :D
I tried to help you once
swallowed my own advice
I saw you going down
But you never realized
That you're drowning in the water
So I offered you my hand
Compassions in my nature
Tonight is our last stand
Prologue
Batman needed him. That was one thing that Jack was sure of. Batman needed him to be the villain so that he could play the hero; so they could dance this little dance while the rest of the world remained frozen in oblivion around them.
Jack wasn’t evil, he wasn’t insane, he didn’t enjoy the mayhem he caused even though he wore a smile while doing it. He always wore it a smile, it was a testament to why he did what he did. The Joker wasn’t the bad guy, he wasn’t the villain in the story. He was just a means to an end. He was the mask Jack wore to fool the world and the Bat into thinking that he was the worst kind of monster.
That, was a lie.
There were far worse things than him out there; he had just been able to put off the inevitable. He had been able to give Bruce time to learn the role of a hero and to thrive in it. Because of him Batman was unbreakable. Because of him the Bat would not waver and fall in his mission. Because of him Bruce was the hero that Gotham needed; because of him Bruce was a hero.
He had played a game with Gotham when he had demanded that the Bat be unmasked. He had known who Batman has the second he had descended in Gotham and became the center of every twisted soul’s attention. When Bruce Wayne had disappeared Jack had been the only one that had refused to believe he wasn't dead and Alfred of course.
It had been Alfred's idea all along.
When Batman had been born there had been a need for the Joker, good versus evil, keeping the balance. Who better to play Bruce’s adversary then someone who would never truly hurt him? Who better to be his enemy than someone who loved him?
Few people remembered the man Bruce had been before he had returned from the dead. Few people remembered the boy that had come home with him every holidays and summer from Excelsior Prep for five years in a row. Bruce Wayne had been a rich orphan whose family name and money kept him protected and Jack had been a ward of the state with a brilliant mind and a scholarship. Of course he had been rejected by the elite children of millionaire, billionaires, and kings.
They had rejected him but Bruce hadn’t and while he had never been accepted they had fallen into line. Bruce Wayne might have been quiet but there was a quiet darkness that surrounded him, something he had learned to hide well as an adult and display vividly as Batman.
Their friendship had turned into the first and only relationship that Jack had ever had and wanted. Where Bruce had been quiet Jack had been loud. Where Bruce had been willing to fade into the background Jack had been willing to stand out. They had completed each other, they had become a powerful force in the school and they had been happy.
They had also had plenty of down and dirty sex once they discovered just how much fun it could be. At school it had been in ducking into closets and empty classrooms, making use of the room they shared. During breaks it had been dodging Alfred and exploring all the hollows and crevices of the mansion. It had been wild, and intense, and it had been love, in its purest and brightest form. It had burned and that burn had never faded.
Then Bruce had disappeared and Jack had spent years trying to find him. He had chased ghosts and gotten in more than a few scraps. He had had his face carved up by one Ra’s al Ghul when he had laughed at him and never stopped laughing. Because the man had been convinced that he knew the real Bruce Wayne.
While Jack wasn’t insane now he had spent some time away from the land of the reasonable for awhile after that. Then he had followed Bruce’s path back to Gotham and he had watched as black had filled the night skies and the city had trembled with the new presence.
And in a painful moment of clarity he had realized just what needed to be done to protect the one person in the world that mattered to him. Over the years spent dodging criminals and living on the fringes of society he had learned how to emerge himself in the darker side of life and he had remained close enough to hear what manner of beasts had began to stir to take their shot at the Bat. Beasts that made Crane look gentle and caring in his plans for the city and the caped crusader.
So he had gone to Alfred, the one man he knew would understand what he was doing and why he was doing it. He had gone to Alfred and he had said his goodbyes. He knew Bruce was looking for him. His searching was done very discreetly because it wouldn’t fit the Playboy image if he was found to be looking for an old friend. He would never find him though. Jack would die, he would be buried under layers of make-up and a red smile. He would be buried under the purple tailored jacket that had been Alfred’s parting gift and the scar tissue that now covered his face, the green dye in his hair, the yellow teeth, the broken voice, the malevolent laugh.
Jack would be buried inside the Joker.
Because only as the Joker could he protect Bruce. Only as the Joker could he give him a villain that would keep the others at bay. A villain that would show the hero that Batman was. A villain that would never hurt him, would never leave him. A villain that would love him.
The lives that fell in his wake where expendable. Those that weren’t were hidden just as well as he was. Harvey Dent had been an accident of the man’s own making. He should have stayed still and he would have been swept away without a mark. Rachel had been a lie, an explosion with a burnt body that had been dead for weeks while the woman had been tucked away to a distant island because she needed to be gone for Bruce to be strong.
Jack was a hero, the Joker was a hero. Except no one knew it. That was the point really. He would hide behind his scars and his make-up. He would hide behind the fake voice and the filthy hair and Bruce would never see the pain shining through his eyes. The pain of giving up everyone to protect the only person he cared for in the world.
That’s what love was wasn’t it; killing who you were so the other person could live.
Author: Chosenfire
Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN. All recognizable characters and situations belong to their respective owners and I make no profit off of playing with them. Song is by Papa Roach
Fandom: Batman (The Dark Knight)
Prompt: Team Knight Round 4 “Role-Reversal”
Character/Pairings: Batman/Joker, Bruce/Jack
Word Count: 1,156
Rating: R
Spoilers: Batman Begins and The Dark Knight
Summary: No one knows the truth behind the Joker. Where he came from? Who he is? Truth is he had been there the entire time, and he was a lot closer than anyone could imagine. What if he wasn’t the villain of the tale, but the hero?
Author’s Notes: Beta’d by heatherhouse. Any comments greatly appreciated. This idea came from a great love of Heath Ledger and the minimal amount of comic knowledge. Mostly I am just stealing the name. Also, there is a Smallville reference in there for those that follow that show :D
I tried to help you once
swallowed my own advice
I saw you going down
But you never realized
That you're drowning in the water
So I offered you my hand
Compassions in my nature
Tonight is our last stand
Prologue
Batman needed him. That was one thing that Jack was sure of. Batman needed him to be the villain so that he could play the hero; so they could dance this little dance while the rest of the world remained frozen in oblivion around them.
Jack wasn’t evil, he wasn’t insane, he didn’t enjoy the mayhem he caused even though he wore a smile while doing it. He always wore it a smile, it was a testament to why he did what he did. The Joker wasn’t the bad guy, he wasn’t the villain in the story. He was just a means to an end. He was the mask Jack wore to fool the world and the Bat into thinking that he was the worst kind of monster.
That, was a lie.
There were far worse things than him out there; he had just been able to put off the inevitable. He had been able to give Bruce time to learn the role of a hero and to thrive in it. Because of him Batman was unbreakable. Because of him the Bat would not waver and fall in his mission. Because of him Bruce was the hero that Gotham needed; because of him Bruce was a hero.
He had played a game with Gotham when he had demanded that the Bat be unmasked. He had known who Batman has the second he had descended in Gotham and became the center of every twisted soul’s attention. When Bruce Wayne had disappeared Jack had been the only one that had refused to believe he wasn't dead and Alfred of course.
It had been Alfred's idea all along.
When Batman had been born there had been a need for the Joker, good versus evil, keeping the balance. Who better to play Bruce’s adversary then someone who would never truly hurt him? Who better to be his enemy than someone who loved him?
Few people remembered the man Bruce had been before he had returned from the dead. Few people remembered the boy that had come home with him every holidays and summer from Excelsior Prep for five years in a row. Bruce Wayne had been a rich orphan whose family name and money kept him protected and Jack had been a ward of the state with a brilliant mind and a scholarship. Of course he had been rejected by the elite children of millionaire, billionaires, and kings.
They had rejected him but Bruce hadn’t and while he had never been accepted they had fallen into line. Bruce Wayne might have been quiet but there was a quiet darkness that surrounded him, something he had learned to hide well as an adult and display vividly as Batman.
Their friendship had turned into the first and only relationship that Jack had ever had and wanted. Where Bruce had been quiet Jack had been loud. Where Bruce had been willing to fade into the background Jack had been willing to stand out. They had completed each other, they had become a powerful force in the school and they had been happy.
They had also had plenty of down and dirty sex once they discovered just how much fun it could be. At school it had been in ducking into closets and empty classrooms, making use of the room they shared. During breaks it had been dodging Alfred and exploring all the hollows and crevices of the mansion. It had been wild, and intense, and it had been love, in its purest and brightest form. It had burned and that burn had never faded.
Then Bruce had disappeared and Jack had spent years trying to find him. He had chased ghosts and gotten in more than a few scraps. He had had his face carved up by one Ra’s al Ghul when he had laughed at him and never stopped laughing. Because the man had been convinced that he knew the real Bruce Wayne.
While Jack wasn’t insane now he had spent some time away from the land of the reasonable for awhile after that. Then he had followed Bruce’s path back to Gotham and he had watched as black had filled the night skies and the city had trembled with the new presence.
And in a painful moment of clarity he had realized just what needed to be done to protect the one person in the world that mattered to him. Over the years spent dodging criminals and living on the fringes of society he had learned how to emerge himself in the darker side of life and he had remained close enough to hear what manner of beasts had began to stir to take their shot at the Bat. Beasts that made Crane look gentle and caring in his plans for the city and the caped crusader.
So he had gone to Alfred, the one man he knew would understand what he was doing and why he was doing it. He had gone to Alfred and he had said his goodbyes. He knew Bruce was looking for him. His searching was done very discreetly because it wouldn’t fit the Playboy image if he was found to be looking for an old friend. He would never find him though. Jack would die, he would be buried under layers of make-up and a red smile. He would be buried under the purple tailored jacket that had been Alfred’s parting gift and the scar tissue that now covered his face, the green dye in his hair, the yellow teeth, the broken voice, the malevolent laugh.
Jack would be buried inside the Joker.
Because only as the Joker could he protect Bruce. Only as the Joker could he give him a villain that would keep the others at bay. A villain that would show the hero that Batman was. A villain that would never hurt him, would never leave him. A villain that would love him.
The lives that fell in his wake where expendable. Those that weren’t were hidden just as well as he was. Harvey Dent had been an accident of the man’s own making. He should have stayed still and he would have been swept away without a mark. Rachel had been a lie, an explosion with a burnt body that had been dead for weeks while the woman had been tucked away to a distant island because she needed to be gone for Bruce to be strong.
Jack was a hero, the Joker was a hero. Except no one knew it. That was the point really. He would hide behind his scars and his make-up. He would hide behind the fake voice and the filthy hair and Bruce would never see the pain shining through his eyes. The pain of giving up everyone to protect the only person he cared for in the world.
That’s what love was wasn’t it; killing who you were so the other person could live.