Under the Red Sky

Joker

The wind felt good running across my face, pulling through my hair. Like her fingernails, biting and tainted with chill. Just enough. To get the blood flowing.

I watched the city come alive as the sun sank farther below the horizon. The buildings opened their eyes, silver and gold, glaring at each other from street corners. The boulevards caught fire with brake lights and the red came with the scream of tar. Everything began to move.

We’d taken the Prewitt Building. It was currently under construction, so one had to be careful. Lots of empty spaces that had yet to be filled with Plexiglas, lots of accidents waiting to happen.

Regardless, it was perfect. Right smack dab in the middle of everything. Perfect few of the bay…

“I think we should hurry, Jack. His head might explode.”

Chuckling, I turned away from the window to face Bijou. She was standing a little ways off, tilting her head right and left to ogle at Engel, who was handing by his ankles from a beam overhead. His face was an ugly scarlet color and for a moment, I thought his head might actually explode.

Either way, time was a-wastin.

I strode over to join her, the pooches we’d taken from Maroni padding after me. I grabbed up the camera we’d taken from Engel’s news crew and pointed it at him.

“Now, Mikey” I crooned, smiling down at him meanly and nudging the dogs away, “This will be quick and easy if you just cooperate. Just look into the camera and read this.” I produced a couple of scummy pages from my pocket and thrust them at Engel, who gripped the papers with shaky hands.

His eyes ran across the pages, his lips working over the words; I watched a look of panic cross his face, which Bijou had sloppily painted to look like mine. It didn’t suit him.

“Poor fool,” Bijou sighed, cocking her head at him, “He probably can’t even read your damn scrawl.”

I smirked. “Not to worry – the message is simple. Ready, Mr. Engel?” I didn’t wait for a reply, turning the camera upside down and roughly pressing the little red button. “Action!”

“I’m Mike Engel for Gotham Tonight,” he stammered, glancing apprehensively from the pages in his hand to the camera, “What does it take to make you people join in? You failed to kill the lawyer. I’ve got to get you off the bench-″

“Bench.”

“And into the game”

“..game”

“Come nightfall this city is mine.”

“Mine…”

“And anyone left here plays by my rules.”

“Rules…” I giggled, my mirth shaking the camera violently. Engel struggled to continue, his face reddening further, sweat gathering at his brow.

“If you don’t want to be in the game, get out now…”

“Now!” I growled and he shuddered, letting the first page fall to the floor. He squinted to read the next few lines and I smirked.

“But the bride and tunnel crowd are sure in for a surprise. Ha ha ha…”

His weak, monotonous blabber was quickly drowned out by the chatter of the camera and my own bout of giggles. I swiftly turned the camera on Bijou and me. She winked torridly; I signed off with my best smile.

The camera switched off with a click and I tossed it aside, nodding to a couple of goons in the corner. They moved forward and set to work cutting Engel down.

“Hmm,” Bijou sighed, turning away and wandering over to the window, sneering in disgust as the dogs trailed after her. I kicked them away and shuffled after her, eyeing her warily, waiting for her to do something. I hated when she got quiet like this; it meant she was thinking. And that was very, very dangerous.

“That would mean everyone would have to flock to the ferries,” she murmured, her brow furrowing as she mused, “That’s the only choice you’ve give them. Why?” She caught my eye.

“You’ll figure it out,” I muttered. “But don’t you have your own little schemes to worry about?”

She shrugged. “Why worry?”

“Well, then” I spat, turning my gaze from her to the expanse of the city, “Why don’t you get a move on? Don’t let me keep you. Run along”

“You’re getting good,” she purred, leaving my side to slink behind me. I felt her hand move along my back and felt the urge to strike her. Or kiss her.

I cracked my neck to one side. “At what, pray tell?”

Her lips were at my ear and her whisper was biting. “At pretending you don’t care.”

Something like rage roiled deep in my bones; a familiar feeling. The pistol called in my pocket and I felt my fingers flex to grasp it.

I hated when she was right. It happened too often for my liking.

I turned my face so we were eye to eye; I could have kissed her, I was so close. “Get lost,” I spat, my lip curling hideously.

She looked completely unfazed, only irritating me further. She placed a soft little kiss on my cheek and smiled, her scarlet lips drawing back across her teeth. I growled turning away, feeling the sting of her kiss.

“Try not to miss me too much,” she hissed and began to saunter off, whip swinging behind her.

I did not watch her go and averted my eyes from her receding reflection in the window. I glowered down at my city. I stared into the sun, wishing I could shoot it from the sky.

I wanted the night.

Then I’d show her. I’d show them all.

Bijou

Night had fallen and the streets were crowded with dirty air and heinous orange light; the civilians were elsewhere, rushing to get off the island. All but one. The one I needed.

“Wait here” I commanded the goon who’d acted as my chauffer, “I won’t be long.”

He nodded and I slid from the stolen car, slamming the door behind me as I made my way up to Max Shrek’s apartment. The lights were off, but he was home. I knew.

The lock was cheap and broke easily. The eerie whine of the door hinges wandered down the hall, which was ridden with shadow. I moved down the foyer, catching glimpses of mundanely furnished rooms equally gloomy and all of them empty.

The vestibule ended in a media room of sorts. The plasma screen was flickering with snow and ash, throwing silver light against the walls. I caught Shrek’s outline against the white glow; he was perched in an armchair, set before the television.

He knew I was coming; he was waiting.

He cleared his throat, breaking the silence of the room. “Well…if you’re going to kill me, I’d appreciate if you didn’t…drag it out.”

I smirked, lurking closer and running my hands along the smooth leather back of his chair. “Oh, Maxie…I’m offended. You’d think it be so quick? It’s like you don’t know me at all.”

“Where’s your boyfriend?” he returned shakily, turning his head slightly to look at me. It scared him how close I was. “Parking the car?”

I cackled horribly, the noise filling the room and rattling the pictures on the walls. “No, no – he’s elsewhere. We don’t need him to have a good time, do we?” I placed a hand at the back of his neck and he shuddered at my touch. “We can have our own little party…”

“Mind if I crash?”

I knew the voice all too well and turned quickly to face the intruder, blocking his punch and concurrently unwinding the whip from my waist. I cracked it loudly, fending him off.

“This doesn’t concern you, Batman,” I hissed as Shrek scrambled from his seat, his eyes flying wildly from the bat to me and back again. “Why must you always meddle? It’s really starting to annoy.”

“What is he to the Joker?” he garbled, the light from the television illuminating only half of his face, “Why this man?”

I felt the heat of irritation bloom across my face. “Dear God! This has nothing to do with him. I have a mind of my own for Christ’s sake, and my own score to settle and some idiot in a cape is not going to get in my way.”

I caught him unprepared and snapped my whip around his neck, reeling him closer, until he was near enough to strike. His hands were busy pulling at the cord wrapped around his throat; he was defenseless.

My heel met his face and he fell to his knees. I moved over him, pinning him under me and uncoiling the whip from his neck, noting how quickly his face filled with that ugly purple color of suffocation.

“Stay where you are,” I called to Shrek but he seemed too frightened to move. I turned my attention once more to the man beneath me.

“Now, bats” I whispered, leering closer until I could catch my reflection in his eyes, “I haven’t a bone to pick with you though I should tear out your eyes for killing me.” Confusion flickered across his face and then…comprehension. He remembered.

“I…didn’t think...” he stammered, staring up at me, genuinely perplexed, “I was only trying to -″

“Save your skin?” I cocked my head, smirking, “Not exactly playing the hero there, Bats. But, I’m not the only woman who’s died because you couldn’t play your part with eloquence, am I?”

He growled, writhing beneath me in anger. I set my hand at his throat and pressed down until he was only sputtering.

“Aw,” I shrieked with laughter, tracing little circles on his cheek with my index finger, “It seems I’ve struck a nerve.” I pressed down a little harder and he hissed in pain, the polish searing his skin.

“Don’t ever talk about her,” he was almost screaming, shaking with rage. “Ever.”

I sighed, putting my hands on his chest and straightening up. “I didn’t want her dead, Bats. And the same goes for Dent.” He had stopped squirming. He was just staring at me now, that same perplexed expression coming over his face. “I don’t want to kill anyone – except him.” I nodded to Shrek, who was crouching in the corner.

The Batman was quiet so I went on.

“And like I said,” I smiled, “It doesn’t concern you. So I suggest you find some other party to crash.” I stretched languidly, savoring the sound of my spine, “Though I enjoyed this little heart to heart, you’ve detained me quite a bit and I’m afraid I’m behind schedule.” My eyes darted to an ugly vase perching on a nearby table and I picked it up, turning it over in my hands curiously. “And since I can’t have you following me…”

The vase smashed spectacularly on his head and I felt him go limp. I checked his pulse just in case he was playing possum before getting to my feet and retying the whip around my waist. I smirked down at the unconscious black mass at my feet and straightened my dress; Shrek make a pathetic little noise from his corner.

“That vase was a priceless antique,” he murmured.

I snorted. “I did you a favor – it was hideous.” I sauntered over to him and he shrank farther into the corner. “Enough small talk,” I purred and wrapped a claw around his wrist.

My lips pulled taught in a horrible smile as I relished the high of capture and tugged my prey from the room and toward the front door, still standing ajar. The night waited and I rushed to her, feeling laughter toil in the back of my throat.

“Hurry along now, Shrek” I shrieked at him as I strutted from the house with him stumbling behind. “We have a boat to catch.”