The Joker and the Thief

I stood in the kitchen as the Joker and his men dealt with the numerous bodies that lay in the game room. I was slightly surprised by this; I didn't picture the Joker as a man that cleaned up after himself. The Joker had assigned one of his men to stay in the kitchen with me. Kevin, my jailer, was the same man whose nose I had bloodied a few hours before. His face was blood free but his nose was swollen and the area beneath his eyes had become a light purple color. He was young, maybe 25, and dressed in an uninteresting pair of dark jean, a blue tee shirt and a black hoodie jacket. His hair was a sandy blonde color and was cut short. His brown eyes looked much darker due to his bruised face.

I sat atop the granite counter top as Kevin leaned against the wall on the other side of the room. We spent the passed twenty minutes in silence which was quite alright with me; I wasn't in the mood to talk about my day. Another slow minute passed before I hopped quickly off the counter. As I did so, Kevin straightened up and gave a me suspicious look but didn't say anything. His reaction didn't surprise me. “I need to use restroom. I'm allowed to use the restroom, aren't I?” I said the last part when a sarcastic tone. I didn't wait for any sign of approval before I walked out of the kitchen and into a long hallway. Kevin followed me to the exit of the kitchen but not into the hallway. I walked pass many expensive portraits and sculptures. When I came to the first door on the right, I slowly opened the door.

I was now peering into an elegant yet boring guest bedroom. I didn't waste time admiring the furniture; I marched across the white carpet to the bathroom which was located at the end of the room next to a much too large closet. I locked the door swiftly behind me. I scanned the room quickly. The window was placed next to the toilet. Before throwing it open I turned one of the knobs on the sink and water poured out into the glass basin. The window was of average size; more than enough space for me to fit though. I quietly kicked the metal screen out before climbing out the window. I then awkwardly shut the window and walked along the ivy-ridden fence till I reached the empty sidewalk.

I ran as fast as I could for as long as I could. I tried to avoid the main roads while trying to get as far away from the Joker as possible. I didn't dare go back to my mother's home. I wasn't sure how long or how far I ran when I finally collapsed over in the doorway of some apartment building. I sat down on the cold stone steps waiting for my breathing to return to normal. I was still there when it started to rain; slowly at first but it began to pick up as the minutes went by. The doorway allowed some shelter from the cold rain but only a little. I wasn't sure how long I had sat there, watching the rain accumulate into a puddle in the middle of the empty street, before I fell asleep.

I awoke to being hit in the head with something. I opened my eyes to find a little old lady, who was wearing a quite ugly floral dress, hitting me in the head with a rolled up newspaper. I wasn't awake enough to stand so I rolled away from her and today’s Gotham Times stopping in the middle of the sidewalk. “Jesus, lady. What's your problem?” I said, slurring my words. “You're my problem. If I see you sleeping in my doorway again I'll call the police. You understand me? We don't need people like you around here. This is a good neighborhood and I intend to keep it that way. Now leave!” She yelled at me as she threateningly waved her newspaper. I watched from my seat on the sidewalk as the lady slowly made her walk back inside.

Night had turned to day and the rain had stopped but the street and I were still drenched. I climbed to my feet while trying to ignore the aching pain in my back. I exhaled heavily before walking down the sidewalk in no particular direction. I walked until the majority of my clothes were dry before I went to the nearest cafe and brought the cheapest coffee and a small blueberry muffin. I sat down at a small table and thought about what I should do next. I thought about taking the money from my last job and just skipping town but ten thousand dollars wouldn't get me very far for very long. I need more money, which was the story of my life. I left the cafe and resumed my wondering.

I was in the center of Gotham City when a police car pulled up along side of me and parked. Instant dread filled my stomach. I stood and watched as Lieutenant Jim Gordon causally stepped out the car and walked over to me. “Can I help you, Lieutenant?” I said politely, though I knew I was completely screwed. “I sure hope you can, Bradley. I need you to come will me.” Gordon said kindly while pulling a pair of silver handcuffs from his pocket. “Can we forgo the handcuffs? I'm not going to do anything.” I asked. “Sorry. Protocol.” He apologized as I stood still as he cuffed my hands behind my back and placed me in the backseat of the police cruiser. I was having a really bad day.