In the Mind of Madness

It was Sunday, and Kenna hadn’t been able to get a hold of Darla to see if she wanted to have lunch, so she was going out alone. Kenna ate by herself at a table in a café and let her worried thoughts assault her.

She didn’t know if she was ready to see The Joker again. To try and get him to open up, she was showing him all of her true self. Kenna couldn’t help but wonder if it was worth it to feel so naked in front of him. She could easily give the case away, but she knew that she wouldn’t. God, she hated him so much. Her life had been normal before he came along, and now she was constantly writhing with turmoil.

Kenna paid her bill and gathered up her coat and purse, walking out of the door while still deep in thought. She gasped as she ran into somebody, dropping her bag and causing the contents to go spilling everywhere.

“I’m so sorry!” she cried automatically, bending down to pick up her keys, wallet, and various random objects.

“No, I should have been looking where I was going.”

When she stood up Kenna saw a masculine hand holding out her mascara. She took it and smiled at the man standing before her. Then her smile melted into shocked gawking, because she recognized him. From the news almost every day. Bruce Wayne.

“Wow. I’m really sorry, Mr. Wayne.” she said, trying not to stutter. It wasn’t every day she talked to a billionaire.

He gave her another handsome grin. “That’s fine…Hey, aren’t you the intern working on The Joker?”

Kenna blushed furiously. “Oh, yeah that’s me. How did you know?”

Bruce pulled that days newspaper from under his arm, showing the cover page to Kenna. She gasped again and stared at her face on the cover. When was this picture taken? Her face was twisted in fury as she stormed out of Arkham. The headline was ‘Student Given Infamous Joker Case’.

“Great.” sighed Kenna.

“If you don’t mind my asking, I’d love to hear how things are going. Join me for lunch?”

Kenna blinked. “Well, I just ate, so -”

“Just sit with me. I’ve been wanting to talk to you.” there wasn’t a whole lot of question in his voice, he knew she would agree. But he was always polite.

So Kenna nodded and smiled tentatively.

*

Kenna could feel people staring at them. She felt unbelievably uncomfortable, sipping coffee with a man she had just met who was also the richest man in Gotham and possibly the U.S.

“Is he really as crazy as he seems, or is it all media hype?”

Kenna cleared her throat. “Oh, he’s definitely crazy. You know a lot about him.”

Bruce shrugged. “I admit, his behavior interested me a little. Anybody who can kill as many people as he has and still laugh must be completely insane.”

“That’s what I’m trying to get out of him. Why he does it…I mean, it just doesn’t make sense. Not to me anyway.”

“Is he giving anything away?”

Kenna chewed over the question, deciding what to say. “Not really. Mostly he’s messing around with me, you know, trying to get into my head. He’s a complicated character to unravel.”

“I bet.” mumbled Bruce, looking away as he drunk his coffee. Then he gave Kenna a strange look. “Do you think there’s any humanity left in him?”

She stared at him for a moment. There was something in his voice that made her feel like maybe he knew more about The Joker than he let on, but that was crazy. What would a billionaire playboy know about the clown maniac?

“Yes, I do.” Kenna heard herself say, surprised by the conviction in her voice. “But he’s doing a damn good job hiding it underneath that makeup.”

“You sound pretty sure of that.” muttered Bruce as he scrutinized her over his own coffee.

Kenna shrugged. “Everybody has some humanity in them. Even killers.”

“That’s an optimistic take on things, Dr. Archer.”

“Mr. Wayne, if I wasn’t optimistic I couldn’t survive my job.”

Bruce chuckled. “That’s true…and please, call me Bruce.”