He'd gone to the roof to look for clues to the Joker's whereabouts. Any trace of material that he could trace back to its origins, any pricetag, even an empty bottle that he could track back to the Wal*Mart he bought it at. He'd gone under the impression that the Joker would have long cleared the scene, what with the police responding to the nearby Gotham Times building to rescue anyone trapped inside and clear the rubble. So, when he came creeping up the back side of the roof in full bat-gear and took his dear sweet time rolling his grapling hook back up and putting it away, he didn't expect to turn and see the Joker still sitting there, waiting, glasgow grin glowing against a background of dancing flames. Sickening.
It took him a half a second to gather his wits about him. Too long. He was running across the roof as soon as he did, though, which made up for the time. His mind blanked on whatever evidence could be ruined in the process of throwing the villain around. He was determined. Fixated. Obsessed. Focusing on only
( ... )
It looked like the Batman wasn't feeling the most good-natured today, coming at the Joker without so much as a hello - no matter. He just stood up, grinning wide at the fast approaching vigilante and waited for the ensuing blows.
"What, no hello?" C'mon, Batman, just one good punch to the right place and we'll be done here.
No. He was better than going straight to punches. No matter how fucking desperately he wanted to or how badly Joker deserved it, he had more self control than that. He did. Instead, Batman seized Joker by the lapels as soon as he was close enough, holding him off the ground and continuing to walk until they were at the edge of the roof and Joker's heels were against the raised edge. Batman gave him one good shake.
"You don't deserve it. What have you done?" It wasn't a question, it was an accusation. News reports with the death toll from the building had been filtering into the Tumbler his entire way here. It was nothing compared to some of Joker's other tricks, but at the rate the body count was jumping, he was losing patience for the sadistic games. "You could put an end to this, why?"
The Joker just laughed and grabbed the Batman's wrists, pressing a little harsher than necessary - like he was trying to get Batman to let go. At this position, he could fall backwards into the sky and it would be the Batman who killed him, and the temptation was so great...
"I just sent a message. One that looks to have gotten through clear as day." He grinned into the Batman's face, "You knew it had to happen, everyone knows that I'm going to keep doing this and we were so overdue for another get-together, Batsy. I just, uh, wanted to give Gotham a little fireworks display."
"No." Another shake. For a moment it appeared he was going to throw Joker over the edge, because he hoisted him up over the lip of the roof. A moment passed and instead, he threw him aside, onto the concrete and gravel of the rooftop. That wasn't what he wanted to hear. He didn't want to know - no, he didn't want confirmation that this had happened because of him. That everything Joker did was just another method of getting his attention. Then it hit him - "Why are you still here?"
"Just let go," the Joker grunted as the Batman moved like he really was going to do it, finally - and then he was thrown to the roof and groaning in pain. "Ugh, you're worse than Harvey."
Instead of pushing himself up and dusting himself off like some kind of respectable gentleman, he settled into the gravel and crossed his arms behind his head, tilting just enough to keep an eye on the vigilante. "Why am I still here?" he asked the Batman, grinning and running his tongue over his teeth, "Couldn't be because you haven't called, could it? You're an awful friend."
Batman took a few steps toward him, not moving for any further physical violence - for the time being. He glared down at him instead, wary of exactly what the Joker could do while he was looking pitiful.
"We're not friends, Joker. Don't think I've stopped looking for you for a second," he snarled. "Harvey's not going to kill you, I'm not going to kill you. Fulfill your own death wish."
The Joker smiled and shrugged against the gravel, searching out the Batman's eyes in the gloom. "Oh, I know Harvey won't kill me. He's a good boy and he understands the chain of command here."
Finally, he pushed his elbows against the ground and sat halfway up, expression going serious for one brief moment. "And since he won't and I'm no coward, it falls on you, pal. Either you do it, or we just keep spinning around this carousel for as long as it takes."
He reached down, pulling Joker to his feet again - presumably for another round, sparing no roughness in doing so. "Harvey doesn't listen to you. And, I'm not going to kill you. But since you decided to turn yourself in, I'm sure you can convince one of the nurses at Arkham to do it for you." Straight to the point. Don't let him get you distracted with the rambling about Gotham, don't lose control. It would bother him later that he had to convince himself to keep these things in mind. It bothered him and would continue to madden him how difficult it was to keep from killing the Joker.
It would be easy. It was what he was trained to do, even. And, nothing would prevent him from hearing Ra's telling him to just do it, fighting to be louder than Rachel's voice, fighting to be more influential than Rachel slapping him outside the courthouse.
"You know that if you put me back in Arkham, I'll just get out again." I have more connections that you will ever know, Batman. "You can keep putting me in time out but in the end I always get back on the playground."
He was all but limp in the Batman's grip, giggling at the vigilante's attempts to stay so good, when he didn't even know what good really was. Overcome by the sheer hilarity of it, his giggles escalated into a hoarse barking laugh and he threw a punch at the Batman's face.
The only reason it landed was because he hadn't been expecting it. So caught up in his own inner torment, he'd barely seen it coming. He turned his face to help the blow glance off, but it was still going to leave a mark. He was suddenly glad Bruce had taken an interest in rugby. Dropping Joker, Batman took a step back, wound up, and delivered a punch of his own - first to Joker's face, then he followed it up with a second to his gut.
"And when they send you to an out-of-state asylum where none of your friends can help you? Where Dr. Crane can't pull his weight with the nurses that still think he's a good doctor?"
The Joker giggled and laughed even through the crack of bone and the splurt of blood that gushed from his nose, flowing with the follow up punch to his stomach and doubling over in glee and pain.
He let himself stagger back and looked up at the Batman, cracking a grin and smearing the blood from his nose away with a hand. "The problem is, uh, even if they can send me away before I get out - Batman, just think about the riots. I did all that with one little letter - imagine what I could do in a nuthouse full of people who don't even know what I'm capable of."
"They have solitary confinement for people like you." It was ignorant and naive and idealistic and everything that was still wrong with a young Batman. It was everything he hadn't learned yet. It was everything that separated him from what Batman had to become. "You're going somewhere where you won't be able to influence anyone into helping you. No one will be there for you to corrupt." It was almost laughable.
The Joker smiled pleasantly. "Oh? No nurses, or doctors or orderlies who'll give me sedatives, right? Not one person I can't talk to, when that's all they want me to do. I'm one of the most unique goddamned specimens of insanity out there and you think they won't try to talk to me? You don't know what I can do in five minutes with one stupid nurse, Batman."
He threw out his arms. "Unless you're going to put me in some kind of, uh, space ship or something." He pointed at the Batman with a grin. "I've seen that little car of yours. Very high tech - I wouldn't doubt you'd have some kind of... Batship out there."
"You're not worth the fuel it would take to get you into space, Joker, and there's no need to waste resources when one good doctor who's a little too pro-electroshock therapy is all you need." He moved forward, throwing another punch while he knew Joker wasn't going to defend himself. He needed the outlet for his frustrations, and Joker was always a welcome punching bag. It was almost commensalism, really, if it weren't for Joker's incessant need to bomb the hell out of Bruce Wayne's friends.
"I'll make sure you get a doctor who realizes there's no fixing you. There's only containing."
"Electroshock?" The Joker blinked for a moment before letting loose another laugh that wasn't silenced or even hindered by the blows. "Do you think I've never had that? Fuck, there isn't a treatment out there I haven't had, other than a lobotomy. But unless you want to do that yourself..."
He skipped backwards across the rooftop, like it was a game of tag, "And even if doctors know, there's always pysch students and lawyers and all that. Quid pro quo, you know."
It took him a half a second to gather his wits about him. Too long. He was running across the roof as soon as he did, though, which made up for the time. His mind blanked on whatever evidence could be ruined in the process of throwing the villain around. He was determined. Fixated. Obsessed. Focusing on only ( ... )
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"What, no hello?" C'mon, Batman, just one good punch to the right place and we'll be done here.
Reply
"You don't deserve it. What have you done?" It wasn't a question, it was an accusation. News reports with the death toll from the building had been filtering into the Tumbler his entire way here. It was nothing compared to some of Joker's other tricks, but at the rate the body count was jumping, he was losing patience for the sadistic games. "You could put an end to this, why?"
Reply
"I just sent a message. One that looks to have gotten through clear as day." He grinned into the Batman's face, "You knew it had to happen, everyone knows that I'm going to keep doing this and we were so overdue for another get-together, Batsy. I just, uh, wanted to give Gotham a little fireworks display."
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Instead of pushing himself up and dusting himself off like some kind of respectable gentleman, he settled into the gravel and crossed his arms behind his head, tilting just enough to keep an eye on the vigilante. "Why am I still here?" he asked the Batman, grinning and running his tongue over his teeth, "Couldn't be because you haven't called, could it? You're an awful friend."
Reply
"We're not friends, Joker. Don't think I've stopped looking for you for a second," he snarled. "Harvey's not going to kill you, I'm not going to kill you. Fulfill your own death wish."
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Finally, he pushed his elbows against the ground and sat halfway up, expression going serious for one brief moment. "And since he won't and I'm no coward, it falls on you, pal. Either you do it, or we just keep spinning around this carousel for as long as it takes."
Reply
It would be easy. It was what he was trained to do, even. And, nothing would prevent him from hearing Ra's telling him to just do it, fighting to be louder than Rachel's voice, fighting to be more influential than Rachel slapping him outside the courthouse.
Reply
He was all but limp in the Batman's grip, giggling at the vigilante's attempts to stay so good, when he didn't even know what good really was. Overcome by the sheer hilarity of it, his giggles escalated into a hoarse barking laugh and he threw a punch at the Batman's face.
Reply
"And when they send you to an out-of-state asylum where none of your friends can help you? Where Dr. Crane can't pull his weight with the nurses that still think he's a good doctor?"
Reply
He let himself stagger back and looked up at the Batman, cracking a grin and smearing the blood from his nose away with a hand. "The problem is, uh, even if they can send me away before I get out - Batman, just think about the riots. I did all that with one little letter - imagine what I could do in a nuthouse full of people who don't even know what I'm capable of."
Reply
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He threw out his arms. "Unless you're going to put me in some kind of, uh, space ship or something." He pointed at the Batman with a grin. "I've seen that little car of yours. Very high tech - I wouldn't doubt you'd have some kind of... Batship out there."
Reply
"I'll make sure you get a doctor who realizes there's no fixing you. There's only containing."
Reply
He skipped backwards across the rooftop, like it was a game of tag, "And even if doctors know, there's always pysch students and lawyers and all that. Quid pro quo, you know."
Reply
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