hEltEr sKelTeR.

piteous   is   the   fool   that   will   wear   a   crown   of   thorns   and   call   them   jewels  .   in   a   city   full   of   backstabbers,   psychopaths,   and   caped   crusaders,   it’s   a   wonder   there’s   anything   left   worth   FIGHTING   for  .   she’ll   take   what   she   can   get   if   it   means   she   can   have   a   taste   of   SWEET   revenge  .   it’s   been   a   long   time   coming,   and   she   wonders   if   he’s   beginning   to   CHOKE   on   his   words  .  

a   pillar   of   smoke   billows   out   from   a   worn   down   hideout   the   two   mad   lovebirds   used   to   occupy   in   east   end  .   it’s   a   warning,   a   threat   of   what’s   to   come   if   he   doesn’t   back   down,   but   weapons   are   already   LOADED,   and   those   walls   she   once   broke   down   for   him   have   long   since   been   rebuilt  .   IMPENETRABLE  .   crowds   gather   on   either   side   armed   to   the   teeth,   ready   to   STRIKE   down   anyone   that   throws   the   first   punch  .   she   smiles   at   the   thought   of   it   being   either   one   of   them  .  

“   oh,   but   i   do  .   this   city   ain’t   big   enough   for   the   BOTH   of   us,   j  .      y’know   that  .  .  .   “      ────      painted   tiers   curl   into   a   serpentine   grin,   prodding   fingers   in   his   chest      dare   him   to   make   the   first   move  .   (   i’m   going   to   kill   you,    even   if   it  means  dragging   you   down   with   me  .   )      ────      “   besides,   nobody   even   LIKES   ya   anymore  .   those   goons   of   yours’  ??   how   much   did   y’have   to   pay   em   to   die   for   you   tonight   ??   i   got   LOYALTY   on   my   side     .  .  .   what   do   you   even   HAVE   anymore,   puddin’   ??   “

       there’s something dark about his gaze as it falls to the one he’s once lavished in his own perverse kind of affection.    she has been a distraction to his greater work.   his greater conquest.    his greater bloodshed.    it’s what he told himself when she was gone.    he swore beneath his breath as she remarks upon the cost of the loyalty ---.

              ‘    isn’t it FUNNY ---- you talking about LOYALTY.   ‘ 

     he’s angry.   and that doesn’t truly happen often.   the joker enjoys toying when his opponents.   he enjoys mindless raging against his enemies.   but both require his mind cleared of petty things like hurt,  betrayal -- and anger.   he does these things because he wants to.  because he has a plan.   but now ???   now he will merely react. 

       teeth snap ---- a macabre grin on his snarling lips.     ‘    you talk to ME about LOYALTY when you got the big bad batman playing along???   what’d you do???   promise him what he really wanted ??   me??   ‘    he’s lashing out now -- throwing flippant verbal blows,   they’re not well planned, they’re not even well thought out.  they are merely childish anger that expresses itself.

        she was a breeze of sweetness that drove through the stench of decay and fetid breath that clung about these rooms.   the joker had seen her -- he wasn’t oblivious to the wonders of the internet...    in fact he he even was rather fond of her new cosmetics brand -- she’d made a lovely long wearing lip paint that stayed much better through murder sprees than old grease paint. 

           with mocking manners he tottered into the room -- harleys hammer drug behind him.   since she’d told him she was having someone over,  he’d taken the liberty of borrowing her bat -- and her babies.   needless to say it had been a spectacular afternoon jaunt. 

                 ‘   well !!!  hello hello --- if it isn’t the lovely friend of my dear, dear pudd’n --   ‘ 

      a hand raises to brush the greasy green tinged hair back from his face, the mallet dropping with a clatter to the floor.   his smile made all the more mocking from the vibrant crimson that stains his mouth --- there are flecks of red that speckle his suit and white painted face.   these are not from the artistically drawn smiling mouth.

                    ‘      big fan --- read all about you  ---   love the lipstick.                       lovers crush    ----    really fits my style dont’cha think?  ‘

          tonight he watches her from the corner of his eye -- she cleans her arsenal.   a skill and fact that leaves him  ---   lustful.   her danger is her appeal.  her claws marks are her kisses.   he is fascinated.  enthralled.   there is an elegance to her danger.  a depth to which he wishes to plummet.  

     she has no illusions of salvation.  no desire for redemption.   she is deaf to voices other than his own.   and she comes to him when he calls.   yet such a gift he is wont to overuse --- raising his gaze from his desk.   maps and papers strewn about.    an arm is outstretched towards her. 

                   ‘    come here ----   ‘ 

      he does not say please,   he does not need to.   it would seem -- or perhaps he can only hope,  that she has learned she need not fear his touch.   that even while hell rains down about the city,   caused by his rage  --  she will ever be safest in his embrace.

  but there was no mirth in the betrayal he felt.   it was one thing to leave him.    but it was another to defy him entirely.    too long this plan had been in place.   too long had he contrived and connived to get to this place.   the city was his to take.    gotham would finally fall under his magnificent rule. 

           but of course she’d known about it.   she’d help plan it.  she’d been his muse.

                      and now she stood to take his glory.   his plan.    his city. 

    lips pulled to a sneer --- goons lining up behind him as he stood in the streets.    purple coat gleaming violet beneath the stop lights reddened tint.   a hand raised -- signaling those behind him to wait.   they would not move unless he ordered it.   they were puppets on a string,  and he their gleeful master.   but there was no mocking laughter tonight.   there was no cacophony of malice and joy to inflict his mayhem upon those who defied him.

       it was her.   his queen.   oh she was beautiful in her madness. elegant in her betrayal.

              but the fact remained.  she stood between him --- and what he wanted.              sarcasm infuses his tone.   an edge to his voice.  a harshness to his voice.                           he will not be stopped by HER of all people.

                        ‘   stand aside SWEETHEART --- you don’t want to do this.   ‘   

     so that being said -- consider this a starter call**

            what’s the point in delirium?                       what’s the fun in sanity?                                    didn’t you know?              insanity is just a bad day away.    welcome to bedlam. enjoy your stay. i’ll be your host while you’re here.

              who am i?    the joker of course !                      why aren’t you laughing?

       LAUGH --- IT’LL MAKE IT HURT LESS.