Am I Born to Die? - OTA
When the Joker appeared in front of him, Ranger was actually shocked. It was the middle of the day. Not only that, but he’d been planning to go to the shop where the Joker and Harley were hiding that night. He’d been planning to end this.
The Joker had beaten him to it.
“Nice hat,” the clown giggled, keeping the revolver leveled with Ranger’s chest.
He’d pulled on the SEALs hat that morning absentmindedly. He’d forgotten he was wearing it.
Liber was growling and Ranger kept his hands at his sides, even though his fingers itched to go for the SIG under his arm. He gestured for the dog to stay behind him. “A friend gave it to me.”
“Dead friend, right?” More giggling. Ranger didn’t answer. “Yikes, tough crowd. Or is it too soon to joke about dead friends?” The Joker took a couple steps closer, the revolver unwavering. “How about dead girlfriends?” He watched Ranger’s eyes go hard. “But which girlfriend?”
“It’s full daylight. You really wanna do this here?” Ranger lifted his hands slightly, keeping them open and nonthreatening.
“Sure!” The Joker shrugged. “Why not? It’s not like anyone is going to do anything to me in this town? Batman showing up was the best thing that could have happened!”
Ranger gritted his teeth. “Because he won’t let anyone kill you if he can help it.”
“Exactly.” He danced eagerly in place, absolutely gleeful. “So I can basically do whatever I want and what will my punishment be? Sit in a cell and be bored until the village decides its time for me to go home? Maybe I’ll gas the whole place. Maybe I’ll find those two pretty little brunettes of yours and have my fun that way.”
Ranger still didn’t move. Liber was whimpering and pacing unhappily behind him. “You aren’t going to touch either of them.” His hand twitched again and he saw the Joker’s eyes cut down to the movement.
“Think you can do it?” he asked in an unpleasant sort of hiss, “think you can draw before I shoot?”
Ranger was quiet for a long time, jaw clenching and un-clenching, face impassive. “No.”
“No.” The Joker pouted at him and shook his head. “You can’t.”
The revolver sounded like a canon in the small street and Liber howled as Ranger’s back hit the brick wall of the nearest building. Blood blossomed vividly on his shirt and the wound was large, gaping. He slid down, looking stunned and the sound of him trying to breathe was loud, gurgling, horrible. The Joker burst into laughter and trotted up to him, knocking the hat off the other man’s head.
Ranger shut his mouth tight and glared up at the clown with pain-glazed eyes, fighting hard to breathe through his nose. The Joker shook his head and leveled the gun with his forehead, ignoring the terrified dog who was snapping at his heels. “Too easy,” he said as though disappointed.
But before he could pull the trigger again, for that final executing blow, he blinked and Ranger was gone, the hat laying in the pool of blood where he’d been. Liber was still howling and the Joker kicked at him in frustration, sending the dog running off. “Quite a development,” he snapped to no one in particular. He’d been denied his kill, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t take credit for it. He pulled his sidekick from his deep pocket and his grin began to return as he spread the word.
[ooc: if you get the message, feel free to come see if there’s proof. The Joker will be hiding and might not come out if he thinks you’re a danger, but he might decide he wants to taunt]
The Joker had beaten him to it.
“Nice hat,” the clown giggled, keeping the revolver leveled with Ranger’s chest.
He’d pulled on the SEALs hat that morning absentmindedly. He’d forgotten he was wearing it.
Liber was growling and Ranger kept his hands at his sides, even though his fingers itched to go for the SIG under his arm. He gestured for the dog to stay behind him. “A friend gave it to me.”
“Dead friend, right?” More giggling. Ranger didn’t answer. “Yikes, tough crowd. Or is it too soon to joke about dead friends?” The Joker took a couple steps closer, the revolver unwavering. “How about dead girlfriends?” He watched Ranger’s eyes go hard. “But which girlfriend?”
“It’s full daylight. You really wanna do this here?” Ranger lifted his hands slightly, keeping them open and nonthreatening.
“Sure!” The Joker shrugged. “Why not? It’s not like anyone is going to do anything to me in this town? Batman showing up was the best thing that could have happened!”
Ranger gritted his teeth. “Because he won’t let anyone kill you if he can help it.”
“Exactly.” He danced eagerly in place, absolutely gleeful. “So I can basically do whatever I want and what will my punishment be? Sit in a cell and be bored until the village decides its time for me to go home? Maybe I’ll gas the whole place. Maybe I’ll find those two pretty little brunettes of yours and have my fun that way.”
Ranger still didn’t move. Liber was whimpering and pacing unhappily behind him. “You aren’t going to touch either of them.” His hand twitched again and he saw the Joker’s eyes cut down to the movement.
“Think you can do it?” he asked in an unpleasant sort of hiss, “think you can draw before I shoot?”
Ranger was quiet for a long time, jaw clenching and un-clenching, face impassive. “No.”
“No.” The Joker pouted at him and shook his head. “You can’t.”
The revolver sounded like a canon in the small street and Liber howled as Ranger’s back hit the brick wall of the nearest building. Blood blossomed vividly on his shirt and the wound was large, gaping. He slid down, looking stunned and the sound of him trying to breathe was loud, gurgling, horrible. The Joker burst into laughter and trotted up to him, knocking the hat off the other man’s head.
Ranger shut his mouth tight and glared up at the clown with pain-glazed eyes, fighting hard to breathe through his nose. The Joker shook his head and leveled the gun with his forehead, ignoring the terrified dog who was snapping at his heels. “Too easy,” he said as though disappointed.
But before he could pull the trigger again, for that final executing blow, he blinked and Ranger was gone, the hat laying in the pool of blood where he’d been. Liber was still howling and the Joker kicked at him in frustration, sending the dog running off. “Quite a development,” he snapped to no one in particular. He’d been denied his kill, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t take credit for it. He pulled his sidekick from his deep pocket and his grin began to return as he spread the word.
[ooc: if you get the message, feel free to come see if there’s proof. The Joker will be hiding and might not come out if he thinks you’re a danger, but he might decide he wants to taunt]