In the Mind of Madness

Kenna had been staring out the window for at least half an hour, probably more. It wasn’t likely she knew Darla was sitting in the kitchen with the light off, leaning heavily on the table and watching her. Darla was keeping to herself, uncertain of what their next move should be and wanting to wait until the boss was awake to continue planning. She did the planning. He did whatever he wanted.

For the first twenty minutes Darla couldn’t be sure what Kenna was doing. It was freezing out and she had the window open, her hands braced on the sill and her forehead pressed against the pane. She was still only wearing her robe, though Darla knew from the earlier sound of the shower running that Kenna had washed off the days of grime. First, Darla thought Kenna was warm, but that didn’t make sense after ten minutes. She could feel the brisk air from her yards away in the kitchen.

So Kenna was looking outside. Just looking outside. That made sense. They’d been inside the apartment going on three days now, but Kenna was probably used to that. Kenna’s home was several stories up and didn’t offer a spectacular view but Gotham looked its best lit up at night. Darla could remember watching the busy cars on the streets below when she lived in a tiny place with her tweaker aunt and screaming cousins. It was oddly calming. On closer inspection staring for a good long time Darla realized Kenna hardly looked calm.

Her face (a pretty face – Darla thought – but mostly unremarkable save for the expressions Kenna put on it) was almost blank. After living with her for quite some time Darla could tell even from the distance between them that Kenna was frowning, able to spot the downward curve of her mouth in her dull reflection. So she wasn’t looking out the window for her own good. It wasn’t giving her any kind of relief.

What, then? Darla didn’t move for fear of making a sound and alerting Kenna to her presence but she squinted to insect Kenna more closely. Her shoulders were hunched, her right foot tapping slightly on the floor. Every once in a while she tightened her fingers on the windowsill before giving a tiny shake of her head and loosening them again. After the first thirty minutes Kenna heaved a deep sigh and closed her eyes for a moment, seeming to shrink slightly. As if she was defeated.

Darla started to frown herself, confusion mounting. She wanted to go over and shut the window because Kenna had to be cold if not downright frozen. Remembering that just a few days earlier Kenna was almost hypothermic in a freezer made what she was doing even more bizarre to her audience. Pursing her lips, Darla almost stood up when she came to understand something rather suddenly.

If she didn’t know better it would look like Kenna was poised to climb out the window. Just thinking about that nearly made Darla smile just at the stupidity of the idea. Why would Kenna climb out the window? It was her apartment they were in after all…with The Joker…who was incapacitated. Darla’s eyes grew a bit wider. Kenna was thinking about trying to escape. Sometimes Darla forgot Kenna didn’t want to be there. Or did she? Darla only grimaced harder because now she understood and it made her feel conflicted. Conflicted and rather bewildered.

Kenna wanted to leave. She wanted to take incredibly dangerous steps out onto the ledge that was barely a foot wide and edge her way to someone that could help. She just couldn’t.

But why? Darla was sure that Kenna was asking herself the same question. Flashes of that day in the kitchen ran through Darla’s mind and she chewed on her lower lip, going to stand again. She had to talk to Kenna again, try to warn her because Kenna didn’t even realize how dangerous their game was. But they were both startled by the pained grunt that came from the bedroom followed by a wheezy chuckle. Kenna blinked and pulled away from the window, hissing and rubbing her hands together as The Joker’s shuffling footsteps entered the living room. Darla couldn’t see him. No lights in the apartment were on. She wasn’t sure if he knew she was there either.

“Do you enjoy being a human popsicle? Is that your thing now?” he asked Kenna scathingly, but always amused.

She turned to face him at the window, the only source of light that played yellowish orange across her right side. “Is yours being a human punching bag for Batman? Oh, my mistake. It always has been.”

Darla’s skin tingled. The Joker’s predatory grin was palpable in the room. “Bats and I were just playing. You’re just dying to know what he said, aren’t you?”

“I really don’t care, Joker.” sighed Kenna, almost believably. The Joker clicked his tongue at her and took a few more uneasy steps forward. Kenna held her ground.

“Such a bad liar. How did you ever think you’d make it as a shrink?”

Kenna’s jaw twitched and Darla couldn’t move. The atmosphere of the apartment crackled and changed like a calm pool of water introduced to an electric current. “I’m not in the mood for this game.” Kenna snapped at him and crossed her arms, turning her face back to the window.

“Liar.” he chided, shambling closer until she was within arm’s reach. “You love it. I call you inadequate, you snap back at me. I laugh at you, you react like a spoiled infant. It’s the way we work, kitten.”

“The way we work.” Kenna scoffed at him. “Just what do you think we are?”

That seemed to throw The Joker. He stared at her silently and Darla couldn’t see his eyes but she knew they would be hard as diamonds. It took all her willpower not to shudder. Kenna appeared to realize what she said, her face going pinched and wary as she waited for his response.

He giggled under his breath, barely cringing at what undoubtedly severe pain in his side. “Teacher and pupil.”

Kenna relaxed into an aggressive smile. “And what have you learned from me?”

The Joker laughed at her again as he came just a bit closer. “Good one. But I’m not the one radically changing my behavior, am I? Hm?”

As quickly as she was amused Kenna was scowling again. It only took her a beat to switch back, her grin turning sly. “I can’t imagine you would have risked life and limb for someone else a year ago. Hm?”

She took him off his guard again. Darla could see his smile fall and her stomach twisted. The hush between them seemed to visibly darken the room and Kenna’s hands twitched nervously at her side. Darla was afraid to swallow, perspiration gathering at the back of her neck as she tried to find the courage to do something.

“Maybe…” when The Joker spoke it was so unexpected Darla came within inches of jumping up and exposing herself. His voice was alarmingly soft. Looking unsettled, Kenna finally took a step back when he moved closer. “…maybe you’re right, doll.”

Too close to Kenna. Darla felt cold all over as she leapt to her feet, breathing as if she’d just finished a race. Kenna lurched back at the sound and looked wide-eyed in Darla’s direction but The Joker didn’t move. He knew she was there the entire time. Mouth open in noiseless horror, Darla stared at The Joker as he stared at Kenna staring at Darla. Time slowed to an agonizing grind and the air in the apartment turned to stone before the clumping of someone tottering up the stairs cut through the deadly quiet. The three frozen in the apartment didn’t react until the heavy footsteps came to their door.

Kenna looked over sharply when the handle turned once then twice. The person on the other side made an irritated noise and tried it again before they were quiet in confusion. “What the hell?” slurred a voice only truly familiar to Kenna. The voice of Dr. Alan King.