The Joker And The Fool

4.(1) Who is afraid of the big black bat?

4.1

Just as one cannot easily decline an invitation by Bruce Wayne, one cannot easily decline any offer from the Joker. Though Diana and Joker became so very familiar, and even much more over time, they simply could not stand to approve of their differences. They fought more than ever. She was no longer just abused. She and him fought, physically. It was the only way in which she could stand up against him. She dared not to attack him with her words, she was afraid to say something dumb or something that she might regret. Their relationship altogether was a catastrophe. It never seemed to be just right, it was either incredibly bad or very good. However, the good times were seldom. After so much pain, after so much trouble, how can one still look at one's lover with any form of affection? Diana believed somewhere that there was a side to the Joker which he only revealed to her. A side, that like her, longed for a normal life with her. She believed that Jonathan Doe had never truly died, he was still the man behind Joker's smile. It felt almost as if she hoped for him to get better, to become John once again. But one cannot know whether Joker used this against her. Perhaps he knew that she had hope, and perhaps he wanted her to have hope. For Joker knew something was unavoidably: he wanted her still. And he would not waste time thinking about his ideals for it. He ignored every fervent emotion. He asked himself no longer why he wanted her. He just did.

They had accepted that they cared for one another.  They shared a natural sense of belonging and caring. But the reason why they were violent towards one another, was that they were afraid to be hurt by the other. It was an attempt to shut one another out, to prevent themselves from feeling. And as they became so involved with one another they lost interest in the killing of Bruce (especially Joker), for it seemed as if Diana did not think about him anymore. So, it seemed. Sometimes her mind wandered to what Bruce should or could have been doing or feeling at the time. She just did not feel the need to have an actual answer to those questions. Just like Joker. Perhaps if she had the chance to look back at her decision to ignore questions only to evade strange emotions, she would regret it. But perhaps he would regret it as well. they had other purposes in that time, ambitious purposes. All Joker cared about was delivering a message, so he said. And he believed that her purpose was to follow him and to please him.

Still, though Diana had found herself more perfect and accomplished than any other person in the world, she felt a terrible fear. She would never declare aloud that what she feared. From whom she was afraid was unequivocally and undoubtable; she seemed to be more afraid of the Batman than she ever had been afraid of the Joker. Which was an irrational thought, for Batman would never kill her. But he could take away her life. He could destroy John; he could crush him; he had the strength to do it. And somewhere deep inside, she knew that he had the power and the knowledge to undo her. and yet time proved that he had no intention of doing it. Perhaps the real reason why she feared the Batman so much was because she felt ashamed for who she was and for showing that part of herself to him. There was something about him that she could not shake, something she did not yet fully understand. Every time she had been confronted by him, he could not fight her, and she could not fight him. In fact, he dared not even look at her. They looked right through one another as if they were both shadows of the other.

For a long time after Diana declined Joker's offer, he would leave her. he had a habit of abandoning her at different times and for different reasons. But it had never been so intense as of that moment. Sometimes, he left her alone without any explanation, only to return in a day or two. She was aware that Joker was focussed on his personal achievements. She supported him for that, she tried to understand whatever he was doing. She performed for him, she killed for him. And all he had to do to have her was love her. And there is no such thing as love.

Because Diana's growing addiction and obsession in supporting him, she would become a familiar character in the dark underworld of Gotham City. She did not know it at the time, yet people of the likes of Falcone and Penguin had used her name frequently. They were watching her for many different purposes. But then again, they were always watching. Joker was not a man who occupied himself with organised crime; it was against his principals. However, Diana was very much interested in the way of life. Which lead her to certain substances that were required to live. She was obsessed with obtaining power through killing, however that was not the only way to become powerful. She was interested in Carmine Falcone. People in the underworld called him the Mayor of Gotham City. It was a rumour that he was somewhat involved in politics. Diana was very fascinated by any form of rulership.