Just Paint Your Face

I stared out the window of the cop car he'd stolen. He held his head out the window, letting the wind whip his dirty hair all around. He sped through the streets with Lau, the Chinese accountant, tied up in the backseat. Daisy sat on my lap, smiling. I'd seen the note fall out of his pocket on the way out. He'd tried snatching for it but I'd gotten it first. It was crumbled and creased, not his handwriting. His was scratchy, sloppy, and usually in all caps.

we got the batman and the bitch's friend. pick one.

Two addresses were scrawled at the bottom. I couldn't read them, otherwise I'd have seperated from him and gone myself. But I knew he was trying to prove a point. I just didn't know what it was yet. He'd taken a red pen and scratched the word "bitch" out with such conviction that a hole was in the paper.

I knew why he'd taken the blame. He didn't want the mobsters getting credit for a good idea, and he wanted the batman to be mad at him. He wanted me to be mad at him. He craved hatred. Part of me did hate him. But more of me loved him.

I hated myself for it.

And I wasn't going to waste anymore energy getting angry with him.

Whatever happens will happen, and I will accept it.

He whistled and the car jerked. Daisy clapped her hands. I set my head against the window, closing my eyes and praying for Rachel.

(people do lots of things they don't believe in. like pray)

It had been just a few weeks before my meeting with The Joker that would twist my boring life into something monsterous and fast-paced. Rachel and I had gone out that night to a local club. Just us girls. We were up at the bar when a young looking fellow had approached us.

I didn't know the face then, but I did now.

It was Happy.

"Hi!" He'd walked up beaming. He was the charismatic one, the handsome one. Which was probably why The Joker had gotten him to follow me around then. This must've been the first move. I'm not sure. I'd never seen him before then. I remember Rachel winking at me as he offered to buy me a drink.

"I don't drink." I'd said, pulling out a cigarette. When I was a kid, my uncle'd sometimes get me drunk so that I couldn't remember what happened the next morning. It never worked, but it caused me to avoid any alcohol. He'd nodded simply and we all got to talking. I remember him asking what I did for a living, what I liked to do. I remember telling him I just painted occasionally or took care of my plants. He'd chuckled. Then he'd excused himself to go to the bathroom or something.

"He's cute..." Rachel commented.

"Yeah, what is he? Like 15?"

We laughed.

"Maybe he likes cougars?"

"Well I'm not into the young guys..."

"You're never into anyone."

I rolled my eyes impatiently. There were many nights out on the town that were like that. With her lecturing me that I should learn to trust more, and with me making snide comments about the men in this world and how they were all the same--pretty boys with smiling faces, offering to get us all wasted. I missed arguing about that stuff. I missed thinking I was right about it.

I sighed, jolted by a bump as he hit something. I stared up at the night sky as he swerved into some dark abandoned road. The Bat Signal stood illuminated against the black velvet backdrop of sky above.

God, please let The Bat get there in time. Please. If he doesn't, I'll get him.

The tires screeched. I nestled Daisy instinctively as he totaled the vehicle, laughing.

"You fucking idiot!" I screamed angrily, "You could've gotten us killed!"

"It's no fun until someone gets hurt." He shrugged. A small trickle of blood was running down his forehead where his head hit the wheel. Daisy was shaking, but unharmed, I breathed again.

The Joker exited the car, dragging Lau with him.

"Come on, ladies. I got a deal to settle."

When we stumbled into the old tanker ship, I gasped.

Money. A huge heaping pile of money. I watched in amazement as he climbed atop it, forcing Lau with him. I watched as he threw money at the poor guy. I wondered how long he'd had it. He still hadn't killed the Batman. They must've trusted him. It was really too bad that he'd changed his mind.

Soon, we heard dogs barking and snarling viciously and Daisy jumped, hiding behind the Joker. I stood, gently resting my hands on her shoulders, as a mob boss walked in.

"Where's the Italien?"

"Jokerman!" The tan skinned, scarface laughed, "You not so crazy as you look!"

He smiled, "I told you I'd get the money back. I'm a man of my word."

"Your money. What you going to do with your money?"

"You know..." He said, throwing more bricks of cash up at Lau, "I'm a guy with simple tastes. I like dynamite. And gunpowder. Plants. And... gasoline!" I suddenly noticed Grumpy and Goofy dumping fuel onto the pile.

The mob boss gasped and yelled in protest.

"Oh, don't worry," The Joker laughed, grasping the thick cigar hanging out of the man's mouth, "I'm only burning my half." He threw it carelessly into the pile and it ignited. Daisy's eyes watched in amzement. The boss looked to me fearfully.

The Joker smiled, pulling out his knife, "Tell your men they work for me now. This is our city."

"They won't work for a couple of freaks."

"FREEEEEAAAAAKKKKKSSS." He sneered mockingly, then he ranted, "Why don't we cut and squeeze you into little peices, feed you to your pooches, huh? Then we'll see how loyal a hungry dog really is."

The mob boss stumbled.

"All you care about is the money. But it's not about the money. It's about ...sending a message.... everything burns." He turned to the bonfire ignited in the tanker and laughed.

I cringed. Rachel was dying. And he wasn't going to do anything. He didn't understand.

We walked home. The car was no longer in working condition, Lau was burning, and the mob boss ran off to his safe little bar. It was raining heavily and the alley we were walking through smelled terrible but we didn't care. He was lost in his madness, she was just happy to be with us, and I... I was...

Suddenly I panicked. Suddenly I snapped.

Maybe she was dead. I felt sick and dizzy all of a sudden.

"I... I have to go get her."

The Joker whirled, his whistling suddenly stopped, "What?"

"I said, I have to go get her. Tell me the address. I need..."

"Ivy," he said warningly, "I'm trying to make something clear here, and if you fuck it up.."

"I DON'T CARE ABOUT YOUR MESSAGE!" I screamed, stomping my foot.

"I wouldn't yell if I were you..." His tone darkened, he withdrew a gun. Daisy's eyes became restless and conflicted.

"Or what, Jack? You'll shoot me?" I laughed, suddenly grabbing the gun from his gloved hand, "Do you know what it's like to lose someone you care about? I don't think so. You never cared about anyone, did you? But that's changed. You care about me, don't you? Maybe I can show you what it's like... maybe that's why I'm here...!" I cackled, bringing the gun up to my head. I was responsible for Rachel. I was responsible for Harvey. I was responsible for Daisy.

"Ivy..." his voice was suddenly very quiet. Everything seemed frozen in time.

My hands were shaking. I could feel tears rushing down my face. Not that it made a difference, with all the damn rain.

I smiled, insanity suddenly clouding my judgement, "We're always responsible for the things we create, Jack."

He reached for the black weapon in my shaking hand. Daisy screamed silently thunder booming in place of her voice.

The gun went off.