The Laugh Heard Round The World

     “So boss, you gonna show Gotham who’s in charge?” A henchman asked.

Joker looked around the room at the group of ten or so henchmen that gathered in the empty warehouse.  Warehouses were always a great place to meet and discuss villainy.

     “Show Gotham who’s in charge?  Joker said.  “Gotham knows who’s in charge.  All I have to do is walk down a sidewalk to prove it.”

     “Or maybe they just get the creeps from a dude wearing makeup.”  One of the henchmen muttered, trying to keep his voice low.

     “What was that?  I didn’t quite catch it.”  Joker said, grinning.

     “Nothin’ boss, just thinking out loud.”

     “Well maybe you can think a little louder.” 

Joker pointed to a henchmen sitting next to the other.

     “What did our friend say….and do speak up so we can all hear you.”

If there was one thing people feared about Joker, it was getting on his bad side.  Sure, he didn’t want anything to happen to the other henchmen but if he lied to Joker, something bad might happen to him instead.

     “He…he said, maybe people get the creeps from a dude wearing makeup…”

The other henchmen started to squirm.

     “It was only a joke boss.”

Joker looked at him semi seriously.

     “A..joke?  I like jokes.  But the point of the makeup IS to creep people out!”

     “Right boss…exactly.  That’s what I meant.”  The henchmen slightly smiled.

Joker looked at the henchmen with a frown.

     “The point of a joke is to be funny.  You’re not funny.”  As Joker finished the sentence he brought a gun out of his purple overcoat.

The henchmen stopped smiling.  Joker pulled the trigger.

     “Ah!”  The henchmen yelled in surprise.

The gun popped out a white flag with the words, “bang, bang, bang”.  Joker began to cackle at the joke.  The henchman started to laugh with relief in his eyes.

     “Hahahahaha”  Both men were laughing.

Before the henchman realized, Joker took another gun from his overcoat and shot him between the eyes.  Joker leaned forward with his fists on his hips.

     “Any more jokes?”

There was a murmur through the crowd telling Joker there weren’t any more jokes to be said.

     “Good.  Then let’s talk about bats.” 

Joker bent back and put the back of his right hand to his forehead as if he were in agony. 

     “I’m tired.  I’m tired of Batman.  I’m tired of the justice he so proudly protects.  The

same justice that set his enemy free again.” 

He stood straight and started to grin again.

     “But that’s the funny side isn’t it?  The same justice he protects also causes injustice.”

Joker smiled showing all his teeth.

     “And that’s what we’re going to show him.  He can’t trust his precious system, so why fight for it.  Why stand beside it and proudly uphold all he knows to be insane.  Or maybe…maybe bats is insane. hehehahaha.”

     “Hey boss” Said a henchman, almost regretting the urge to speak.  “Are we going to profit from any of this?”

     “Have I ever let any of you down?”  Joker said, frowning.   “You will be compensated for any work you do.  Contrary to the past; you can take all the spoils of our little atrocities.  But I…”  Joker began grinning again.  “I want the bat.”

 

     Gordon walked into the police station the next day and smelled the fresh aroma of coffee.  He could hear the morning discussion of Batman’s latest capture: Smitties gang, as he walked towards the coffee pot.

     “James!”  Harvey Bullock walked towards Gordon, holding his own mug of coffee.  “Last night Batman tipped us about Smitties gang being at the Upper East Side near Robinson’s park.  Needless to say, Batman did most of the work.”  He let out a small chuckle. 

     “I know, he told me.”

     “Say, why do you get to talk to Mr. Pointy Ears and the rest of us never get a chance?”

     “I’m the commissioner; it’s in the job description.”  Gordon smiled as he sipped his coffee.

All the signs pointed towards a calm and restful day at the office but Gordon knew better.  He liked to think that he could just put it off until another day; after all, nothing bad has happened yet.  But this was the GCPD; they were organized and did their jobs efficiently.  He couldn’t just put this headache off till another day.

     “Listen up,” Gordon said, gritting his teeth.  “All of you know Joker was set free.  We have to be on the lookout for any and every move he makes.  If he so much as j-walks, I want him to rot in Arkham.  I want cuffs on him immediately and brought in.  We all know he’s capable of unspeakable destruction and we know his resentment towards the Gotham city police.  I don’t want him to have any breathing room, if any of you find anything that doesn’t smell right, bring it to me right away.”

Everyone finished with the morning chatter and set off to work.

     “Bullock, Essen.  You two are head of the Joker observation”

     “The Joker observation operation,” Bullock said smiling.  “It has a ring to it.”

Gordon looked annoyed.

     “I want you two to find out where he’s keeping himself if at all possible.  Don’t let him know you’re keeping tabs on him.”

     “Do we have a warrant for any of this?”  Essen asked.

     “No, that’s why we have to keep this on the down low.  The other police officers will be doing what they can, but you are to report only to me about what you find.  We can’t have the press getting an earful of how the GCPD is conducting under the table operations.”

     “You sure you want to do this?”  Bullock asked.  “I know this is an extreme case but you’ve always been one of the more honest cops round here.”

Gordon was silent for a few moments.  “I want you to keep tabs on him but nothing more.  Understood?  No fights, nothing.  Clear?”

     “We got you, don’t worry sir.”  Bullock said.

     “Ok, Jim, we’ll find him.”  Essen said.

 

     “AhahahahaHAhaha!” 

The laugh heard round the world, Joker thought, or at least through Gotham.  Joker saw henchmen run out of the abandoned building.  Some with joker masks, some with painted faces.  Little mini-me’s, Joker thought…no, that’s giving them too much credit.  I’m the only Joker and there is no other, not even a miniature one.

     Joker watched as his plan was almost set in place.  It was only an abandoned building near Sheldon Park, not much harm done.  But this was only the beginning; an appetizer to a 3…no, a 20 course meal.

     “All set boss.  Anytime you’re ready.”  One of the henchmen with a joker mask said.

     “Humph.”  Was all Joker said.

A henchman handed Joker an electrical primer and then the henchmen ran off to who-knows-where, leaving Joker alone with the building.  “Well Bats, this is for you.  Don’t take too long now.”

With that, he pressed the remote and the building caved in out and toppled with such glory as if that was the sole purpose of its existence.  The blast and dust sent Joker reeling back and he ducked around the corner of another building as some debris soared past him.  Joker peeked out before all the dust settled.  A grin instantly snapped on his face when he saw the collapsed building.

     “Oops, someone would have heard that.”  He said in between giggles.

Joker scooted passed all the random debris and headed back to his apartment.  He wasn’t anywhere near the place by the time the police and fire departments showed up.

 

Oracle finished telling batman about the building.  She could see he was thinking the same thing she was.

     “Joker?”  She said.

     “Maybe.  But we have to be sure.”

     “You could always ask him.  He’s living in an apartment off of Mortimer Avenue.”

     “That was fast.”  He said with no surprise in his voice.

     “The apartment owner didn’t exactly keep quiet that he was housing the most notorious criminal the city has ever seen.”

     “I see.”

     “Are you going to visit him?”

Batman didn’t find the thought of being face to face with Joker once again thrilling. 

     “Maybe.  Keep looking into the explosion.  See if you can find anything that could lead to Joker.”

     “I’m on it.”