An Unlikely Encounter ch.24

CHAPTER 24

Seconds later, the sharp sounds of bullets flying through the air permeated all noise. The Screaming grew louder, shriller, more terrified.

And still, the moment I heard that characteristic laugh of the Joker's, I immediately felt a strange mix of dread, and exhilaration. My blood pump just a little bit faster; and not out of fear.

I swiveled around and opened my mouth to say something to Bruce, but the words immediately died in my throat.

Bruce wasn't there.

Not even a minute ago he was standing right there, and somehow he managed to leave me in this empty hallway, without me actually hearing it.

"Or maybe I heard it, and I was just kind of distracted by the impending destruction of the entire city of Gotham," I thought aloud. As if on cue, my thoughts were complimented by a release of about a million bullets from what I would guess to be the biggest machine gun ever.

There was a sudden silence, before the screams rang out once more, increasing in volume and intensity with each millisecond.

Another loud bout of laughter rang from the room, and somehow I knew that inside, the Joker was waiting for me.

"Now or not at all," I thought reluctantly, my hands resting lightly on the handle as I steeled myself for entrance into what was sure to be a war zone.

The doors swung open before I could do anything to reveal a smiling, happy-go-lucky Joker holding what was sure to be the most elaborate gun I'd ever laid eyes on.

I wasn't quite prepared to see his face twisted in such a . . . friendly manner, so his appearance caused me to recoil a bit. The Joker threw his head back and laughed loudly upon seeing my expression, which immediately set my instincts on high alert.

He quickly sobered, though, and sent me a bone chilling smirk over his shoulder as he welcomed me into the room ostentatiously; as if presenting the room to me as he went.

"Well if it isn't the guest of honor! And you're, uh, late," The Joker wagged his fingers in my face in disapproval.  

"Ah, Ah, Ah!" He said, as if I were about to make an excuse for being late, "No worries, you're just in time for the opening of presents!"

I couldn't hear him though. I was much too distracted by the scene that lay before me.

There were many people wounded in the corners, clutching at their injuries while their dates crowded around them, trying to tend them or wrap their wounds. Blood covered the floors, the drapes on the windows were burnt in some areas, tables were turned over, and the women were people begging and pleading with the goons, their faces caked with mascara and smeared lipstick.

I jumped when the hilt of a goon's gun connected with some poor man's face. His date immediately scrambled over to him and took his face in her lap.

The joker snapped his fingers in front of my face, directing my attention back to him.

"Uh, Kitty, are you even lis-ten-ing to me?"

His gaze followed the scene I had just witnessed.

"Oh. That?" He asked, "Oh don't mind Goofy, he's just having some fun."

I looked back at the scene and saw that Goofy was taunting the man and laughing cruelly at him.

"Aww, why so serious Kit Kat? I leave you alone for five hours and you go and forget all about the way I do business!"

The Joker reached and grabbed my face, forcing me to stare into his black eyes. My face melted back into its reflexive stony expression as he scrutinized me.

The Joker released my face after a moment, and began circling me as he palmed his weapon in his right hand.

"Besides," He continued, "I didn't actually kill anyone,"

The Joker paused licked his lips and grinned, "Well . . . at least not yet."

I raised an eyebrow at him. I had to wonder at that. It didn't seem anything like the Joker to let an opportunity to kill someone go.

The Joker looked at me and chuckled to himself. "Oh, I am oh so touched, that you would take the time to get to know little old me!"

"Does he read minds?"

"No, you just have a tendency to voice your thoughts vocally" He replied, highly amused.

Kill me now.

"Well, That, AND you can be very predictable, BUT! To answer your question," The Joker interrupted before I could object.

"If you had been listening to me while I was talking, instead of taking a visit into La-La Land, then you would've heard me say that we're about to open presents,"

The Joker smiled wickedly. He reached into his left pocket, pulled out a small cell phone, and lifted it to his face.

"And look!" He exclaimed happily, "I believe I just, uh, received it,"

My heart dropped into my stomach when I saw "1 new message". I don't think I'd ever be able to live down the fact that all the lives that'll no doubt be lost was because of me. It was like I had just handed the key to Pandora's box to the Joker, and nothing good can come out of it.

"How cruel would it be--," The Joker continued, interrupting my thoughts,  "—to keep all these good people from seeing my reaction as I accept your gift?" The Joker laughed, "I mean, I'm not that twisted . . . well . . . maybe a teensy bit."


As he was laughing, the Joker put his hand on the small of my back, dangerously low, and led me towards the stage where the orchestra had been playing music.

"Alright now," The Joker said, sobering up, "No more fun-ny business. It's time I uh, reclaim my throne as Gotham's Most. Feared. Criminal,"

The Joker ducked away from me after his declaration, leaving me just standing there staring at retreating figure, not quite sure what response would be appropriate in my situation.

Should I egg him on? Encourage him to go through with the mass destruction of an entire city? Should I try and stop him?

I chuckled weakly. As If I could actually stop the Joker from doing ANYTHING.

The Joker spun on his heel gaily, twirling him gun around in the air while walking by the party guests. Every few moments he would stop to pretend to shoot the gun to particularly terrified hostages, resulting in them flinching violently, or crying out in fear.

I gasped instinctively when the Joker ACTUALLY released a shot, and the resulting blast was great enough to shock the entire room into silence.

The person who had been the Joker's target was now sporting a huge gaping hole on the side of his left leg. Apparently, the man was quick enough to get out of the line of fire before his body joined the collective debris scattered around the room, but he still couldn't manage to escape the full blast.

No one said anything for a couple heartbeats, and it seemed as though the entire room had their eyes glued to the man's incinerated leg, the Joker included.

The man's mouth was hanging open in a silent scream as his hands slowly extended to his leg. Strangely enough, the leg wasn't bleeding. In fact, when I looked carefully enough, I could see what looked to be frost on the edge of his battered skin.

"Alright! Now this here's uh, MY kinda gun . . .," The Joker suddenly exclaimed, snapping everyone out of the trance that they were under. As the Joker regarded his weapon with renewed interest, realization set into everyone's minds, and a steady hum of horror grew until it rose to a cacophony of screaming and yelling, pleading and negotiating, groveling and crying.

The Joker regarded the hysterics with an impatient sigh and his signature eye roll. He licked his before grabbing the nearest gun from a goon to his right, pulling back the safety, raising the gun over his head, and setting off about twenty shots in the ceiling. When the room was reduced to nothing but tense silence once more, tossed the gun over his shoulder onto the floor.

"I think . . ." The Joker began, walking slowly towards the party guests, "That you all have, uh, forgotten. Your. Place."

The Joker paused in front a violently trembling woman, clutching herself tightly, and desperately trying to avoid his gaze.

The Joker loomed over the poor woman, and peered down at her with a sick smirk painted across his features.

He then lowered himself down on one knee, so that his face was level with hers. The woman began to cry silently, and she squeezed her eyes shut, shudders wracking her body.

The Joker tilted his head.

"Why, exactly, do you uh, think. That. Is. . . hmm?"

The woman didn't respond.

"WELL!?"

The woman began to whine.

The Joker huffed in annoyance and stood up abruptly. He went over to pick up a stray gun on the floor, turned, and shot the woman in her left arm in one swift motion.

The woman screamed, and clutched her arm to her body, now openly weeping.

The Joker now had the gun pointed her head.

"Shut. Up." He growled. The girl cut herself off and looked strait into the barrel of the gun. It looked as if a little light went out within her and her body sagged under its weight, as she regarded the weapon with an expressionless face.

The Joker put the gun away though, and turned away without looking back at her. The woman sat there, unmoving.

"You ALL. Have forgotten. Your place," The Joker ground out, recommencing his prowl around the group.

"All you fucking pansies just sit there wailing on about how you're all about to die, and you know? I didn't see one fucking human being stand up and try to stop me."

The Joker's hands clenched and unclenched as his face corrugated into a painful-looking smile, his eyes just as crazed as he was.

"I just. Don't. Un-der-stand," He continued, sounding angrier with every word, "It's almost like you all uh, prefer to be humiliated and broken as you're killed begging me to spare your lives instead of dying in an attempt to kill me, or, God forbid, defy me!"

The Joker's breathing became ragged as the intensity of his voice increased.

"You know why I hate this city so much?"

The Joker whirled around and faced the guests who regarded him as they would a venomous snake.

"Because the people of this city feel safe by letting some hero who calls himself 'The Batman'," The Joker took a moment to roll his eyes, "Do your dirty work!"

"Everyone in this room would sooner throw their first-born children into a bed of hot coals then step across 'em themselves," The Joker whispered to himself. Everyone heard him.

Suddenly, the Joker burst out into loud peals of laughter, shocking all the guests in the room. Even the goons seemed a bit weary of the Joker now. It truly appeared as if the Joker had seriously lost it this time.

"You . . . see this?" The Joker asked between breaths. He held up a small black device that resembled a USB drive presented it to the room.

"THIS, is what's going to allow me to uh, have my fun with Gotham," The Joker licked his lips, "The information on this will be enough to bring this city to its knees. And it's all thanks to my very obedient little Kitty Kat over there,"