The Freedom of a Killer Is Gone

The rest of the day was, strange. Jen kept asking what was up with me. Are you kidding me? I just fucking saw someone who was supposed to be dead! Of course I wasn't going to tell her that because that usually ends up her asking me what I did before I came here. Jen was always interested in what I use to be. It's like she could already tell that I'd been doing something socially unacceptable. She wanted to know so bad, but I'd just brush it off. I knew she wouldn't hold it against me, Jen was a little like myself. She liked the "darker side". No matter how much I wanted to tell her, I couldn't. I didn't know if it was fear for myself or fear for her.

"Come on Ebby, 'ya kill someone?" A dark grin settled on her face.

I shook my head smiling. "Why are you so bent on knowing my life?" I laughed locking up the store.

"Why are you so bent on NOT telling me?" She countered cockily.

"I'll tell you someday when it's necessary. Bye." I gave a short wave and hopped into the van.

I wasted absolutely no time zooming back to the house. I had to tell J about seeing Dent. It felt like the old days. Whatever was coming was going to be some deep shit. I don't know if I was happy or not about this. It was easy to tell something was coming. I really needed to talk about it with J, he should know what to do.

Screeching to a halt in the drive way, I hopped out of the van and ran to the house. I shut the door quickly behind me and ran into the kitchen. J was sitting at the table screwing something together. He lifted his head up, looking expectantly at me.

"I saw Harvey Dent." I blurted out sitting across from him.

Excitement flashed before his eyes. "Really? Wasn't Gotham's White Light pronounced dead?" He asked leaning back in his chair. I could see the Joker come back into his eyes, and I couldn't help be giddy myself.

"No fuck. They had a whole damn ceremony for the man! But they must have been lying because he stood right there in front of the store, his face screwed up as ever. Something's going to happen, you know. Dent said he'd be seeing me soon." I explained leaning onto the table.

J licked his lips, making a the memorable smacking noise. "I say, we make the first move." He commented grinning.

"What do you suppose we do? Go into the nearest city blow up something and attract his, or their, attention." I countered smirking.

"Sounds perfect." He whispered huskily a sadistic twinge.

I laughed and got up. J followed closely behind me as we walked to the back room. Sure, we've changed greatly, but we still have a room filled with explosives and guns. I opened the door and stepped in carelessly. Immediately J went to the shelf filled with explosives grabbing his purple coat. He slipped it on and started stuffing explosives into his pockets. I couldn't help but smile at this. Walking over to the opposite shelf I grabbed a few guns and put them in my back pockets. I grabbed a few knives and turned to J. He seemed to transform right back into the Joker in front of my eyes, not that I mind. His scars stretched as he smirked at me.

"I love doing this."

I let out a roll of laughter and walked out of the room. We took no time rushing to the van and getting inside. I turned on the radio and cranked it up to an obnoxiously loud volume. Then we zoomed out of the drive way screaming along with the music. It was wonderful doing this, being killers and reckless.

We laughed insanely as we screeched into the lot of a some trashy club. Nothing was more fun than terrorizing drunken idiots. J grinned at me maliciously and I did the same hopping from the van. The neon lights of the club blinded me and in reaction I covered my eyes instantly. But as I regained my sight I was shocked.

The club was completely and utterly except for two men standing in the center of the dance floor. Music was blasting from several speakers but it still seemed deathly still. The two men stood perfectly still. One was muscular and hunched over a t-shirt with cut off sleeves and baggy pants, also he looked like he needed a muzzle. The other was flipping a lighter in his hands, his clothes were all black and seemed to be made of some strange material.

Suddenly, the music was cut.

"Now, you two seem like very bright people, tell me this." A voice rang out smoothly. "If a apostate array of lively louts are nauseated by agog Argonauts, what are they to do?" The voice asked.

I stood shocked for a moment, half of the words he used I didn't even understand. Turning my head towards J I tensed seeing he wasn't there. I grabbed one of my guns and held it down by my side.

"Come on, Ebby, what's the chance of us trying to hurt you?" A gruff voice asked. Harvey Dent walked onto the dance floor standing by the two other men.

"Thought you were dead." I grunted.

He let out a cackle and returned to staring at me unwaveringly. "Yes, that's what they told everyone! Gotham's Shining Knight, dead. No, I fell and was knocked unconscious as I tried to get revenge on the people who ruined my life!" He screamed. "And you know I was THIS close!" He continued pinching his thumb and fore finger together. "Then the Batman came and saved the fucking day! I was sent off to Arkham. I stayed there for four years. And now I'm out, for what every insane man in my position wants: Revenge!" He cackled his burnt skin stretching. "And I've got to say, I didn't think that you two of all people would settle down."

"Ah! You seem to know our bloodthirsty belle?" The smooth voice rang again.

"Shut up Riddler!" Dent yelled.

A man in a green suit walked out, standing a few feet from me. He held in his hand a cane with a question mark on the top of it. His hair was black and slicked back underneath a green bowler hat. His mouth was small but in a permanent grin.

"My, my you have not said one syllable." He grinned twirling the cane. "Could our mettlesome mademoiselle be frightened?"

I gritted my teeth together. Running at him, I swung the butt of the gun straight for his head. Easily, he moved his cane up smacking my arm away. He swiveled the cane behind my head pushing me forwards and side stepping out of the way. I fell to the ground but quickly scrambled up. Riddler grinned at me, twirling his cane. A growl sounded behind me and snapped my head backwards. The muscular man stood nearby, his eyes blood shot.

"Calm down Bane." A constricted sounding voice called out.

J and a man walked from what I presumed to be a private room. I went slack jaw for the second time today. It seemed everyone from Gotham was coming back. The man was stout, round, and just all over creepy looking. He wore a suit, top hat, and three fingered gloves. Though four years ago he had shorter hair, now his hair was long and tangled. For a moment I didn't recognize him but the moment he spoke I did. He was the same man who was the last doctor to come into my cell at Arkham.

I looked at J curiously and he just smiled reassuringly.

"Well Ebby I'm sure you're confused but first let me introduce you to everyone." He began walking towards me and the men. "You've already met Two-Face," he said pointing to Harvey, "and Riddler. He is Firefly," The man said motioning to the man flipping the lighter, " and he's Bane." He said turning to the muscular beast. "And you may call me Penguin. Now, your going to help us bring down Gotham's Dark Knight." Penguin explained.

"No."