Melted Gold

Ghost

The explosion from the alley drove smoke into the streets, scattering pedestrians and sending papers flying. Joker stepped into the streets with a red painted smile and black painted eyes, he looked like a horror story. He wore his traditional purple suit and trench, his hair was sliced short around his ears and while he stood in the middle of the road with a gun in each hand he didn't move any further. The people of Gotham gawked, Joker had been wandering the streets among them for weeks, eating at their diners and slipping through the cracks without so much as a buzzer on his hand. He now stood before them painted and primped and looking scarier than they have ever seen him.

Joker looked at each face and pulled the hammers back, cocking his guns as he leveled them with the crowd. There was a beat of absolute silence, these people knew who Joker was, knew what he had and would do. This man was a killer, this man was a maniac and he was dangerous, he was smart and he was eyeing them all like candy in a store ready to be picked off the shelf.

"Good Evening Gotham," He threw his head back and the grating laughter that he pulled from his chest sent the crowd screaming. He pulled the trigger and his 'Bang' flags popped out from the barrel. He aimed the gun for the sky and the flags took flight, bursting into colors of purple and green above his head. He watched as people scattered, running to the nearest buildings and hiding behind mailboxes. Joker stalked down the sidewalks, aiming his guns up to the sky and watching the colors explode, watched the people move out of his way, rushing to find a place to hide.

The fireworks continued to explode as Joker moved, preset bundles set to timed trip wires, greens, purples and oranges lighting the sky up in a call out for the man he had been hunting for days now. Hatter said that Harish was in Wonderland, so he was still in Gotham but he hadn't been able to find him. He wasn't stupid, he was desperate, Harish had become a phantom among the people, he had hidden himself so well that even Joker couldn't locate him. He didn't have time to be turning over every stone in this damned city.

He had to smoke the man out, he needed Harish to come to him, he couldn't keep playing this fucking game of cat and mouse. The firework show ended and Joker stood in mid city Gotham, the streets bare of any civilized people but he saw eyes in the darker corners, bums and whores with nowhere to run, waiting for an opening to get gone without being seen.

"Quite the show you have going here," A familiar voice spoke from up high. Joker whipped around, searching the rooftops before spotting the young man crouched on the edge. Robin...was not Robin, he wore a suit of black with blue painted across his chest. Joker felt a sort of whiplash as the young man stood and looked down at him from his perch.

When had he grown into a man?

"You shouldn't be here, Robin," Joker called up and that smirk that was all Bruce but everything that was Richard told him more than any words could.

"Nightwing," He corrected and started his decent, graceful movements only the acrobat could pull off without getting himself killed five different ways. "I don't remember asking for your permission."

"I don't remember asking for help," Joker shot back "I'm pretty sure I told you to stay home, actually,"

"Since when have I ever listened?" Nightwing winked under his mask and Joker scoffed out a laugh. This kid...this young man was just as suicidal as the rest of them, "Jack, he almost killed her, please, I watched him tear apart my entire family, you can't keep me on the sidelines forever."

Joker sighed, a slow rush of air as he looked up into desperate blue eyes, eyes that said that Joker could say anything at that moment but he would still tear the city apart. He wanted to knock the kid over the head and force him to go home with a concussion, or worse, but so far every time he's told anyone to do anything they just disobeyed him anyways.