I can't go on living this way and I can't go back the way I came

[proxysearch]

Who: A he_is_wild and a proxysearch.
When: Early morning, October 8th.
Where: A warehouse by the docks.
Summary: Re-l goes to find Joker and make sure he's not planning on losing it. Things don't go so well.
Warnings: Insanity, mentions of a certain Bat's death. Mild language.

Comments

[he_is_wild]

Joker sat on the roof of the warehouse, his arms folded over his knees, staring out to sea. He'd been here since dawn, lost in brooding thought, struck numb at the loss of Batman. His Batman. It was not fair. It just wasn't! He should have been the one that killed the Bat. It should have been his crowning achievement. It should have been the proof of his artistic genius. And now the chance had been taken from him.

Batman shouldn't be dead. He shouldn't have been so foolish. Joker had always had faith that the Bat could survive nearly anything, that was what made him such a perfect nemesis. What if he didn't come back? Harley didn't. Joker had waited for her return and it never came. The Rogues had left for good, too. It seemed like the Core enjoyed taking anyone of any significance from him. Even his hobbies... Light, Phoenix, the pink Pony...they were all gone.

The strange walked alone.

He lifted his chin. And what if the Batman did come back? Would things ever be the same? Would there still be a point in trying to kill Batman or

[proxysearch]

Nothing down here. She was careful of any traps he might have left her, but there was nothing save for the memories that hit her when she walked through the warehouse. Jomy had been hurt here. Kazura had been injured, too, and so had she. They lost several officers that week. And this was when she had first actually fought the Joker himself.

Ridiculous. Was he here for the memories, for the reminiscing? She didn't have time for that.

She made her way up to the roof, no gun in her hand. She knew better than to provoke him with weapons. When she got to the roof door, she hesitated, uncertain of what she would find. Bodies, hyenas, an angry clown? Always possible.

Just do this and then you can go home.

But when she opened the door, only he was there to greet her. Him and those empty, lifeless eyes of his. It took her off guard for a moment; it was like that day when they spoke of Harley.

She let the door close behind her and she walked over. "Why here?"

[he_is_wild]

Joker was not sure why he'd picked this spot. Because he liked the ocean? No, he had no sympathetic feelings towards the sea. In fact the very idea of water sometimes brought unpleasant memories of his birth and made his sides itch.

Maybe he'd wanted to be found.

He shrugged and flicked his gaze back out towards the sea, staring intently as he said, "You know what really makes a man mad? Screaming into the darkness." His voice was soft, lacking any humor. In fact, it was completely lucid. His mind felt clear today, he wasn't sure he liked it. It felt lonely.

"Empty darkness. There's no audience in the shadows anymore."

And no comedic double on stage.

Only a clown with no straightman. A joke with no punchline.

[proxysearch]

He sounded...normal. Really normal. And depressed. She was nearly taken aback by the lucidity in his voice and how he didn't even crack a smile at her. This was worse than their talk of Harley by far and she'd only seen him for a minute.

This wasn't good at all, was it? Her gut told her that she really should just turn back around and walk away, but she always had trouble doing something like that. She couldn't leave the truth alone.

Re-l approached slowly, following his gaze out to the sea. "I imagine it would. I'd think that would be terribly lonely."

No song in the silence. No one to listen. He was speaking, of course, of Batman. Her mind had wandered elsewhere and she quickly pulled it back.

"Do you know who did it?"