The Joker And The Fool

9(.1) the Gotham War

9.1

Sometime during the Batman's absence, the riots would have started. These riots were a result of the attack on the stock market of Gotham City. Little was truly known about the attack, and little was made publicly. It was a case for the FBI at the time. It went above the head of commissioner Ramirez; thus, Diana was unable to obtain much confidential knowledge about it. But the fact that the attack had been committed by the one who was formerly known as Bain was known amongst her and other members of their circle. Diana had promised to provide a solution to the problem that was Bain. It was the mere reason for her entry to their group. However, she failed, like Penguin had failed before her. It was not a lack of wisdom nor strength which lead to her failure, it was a lack of drive. Diana was no more occupied with her business, after all, it had never been a concern of money, mere amusement. And she had organized her business in a way to what she left most of the responsibility to Victor Zsasz or Joseph von Genk. Diana had a revived interest towards her former lover. In fact, this was the thing she was most occupied with during the day and during the night. She rejected any disapproval from her peers, including that of Victor Zsasz. But she was very realistic about the possibility of failure, within their relationship. There were several flaws which she recognized; the importance of the Batman towards John; the violent nature of their relationship; and the possibility of disapproval or rejection. The matter was that Diana felt alone for a very long while. She had surrounded herself with people like her brother and Victor and Paris or Warren, but their presence did nothing to her. It was not until she met her niece that the loneliness melted away only slightly. But even if she felt such a strong love for her niece, who seemed more like a daughter to her, she could not deny the words of her brother. She was afraid that Diana would learn her niece to become like herself. And though, for a long while she did not understand what would be so terrible about it, she now understood that she would bring the same loneliness to her. Diana did not want her to be as empty as herself. And there would come a time when Elizabeth would either leave her side, or that Diana would be separated from her in a violent way. And if that should happen, Elizabeth would grow to be the same hateful and hollow person as she was herself.

For there is one grave misconception about Diana Jane Watson and this is that she did not feel that her being was evil nor wrong. For Diana was well aware that there was something wrong with her mind. She knew that her deeds were terrible in the eyes of ordinary people. But she could not withhold it, she could not hide it. For hiding her thoughts and deeds seemed only to reinforce it.

But John, he knew her. He was already exactly the same as her. It was because of this that she would seek comfort with him. She knew that he would never become a 'family man'. He had told her many times that he disapproved of her relationship towards the child. After all, he had killed her brother, and he meant to dispose of the child as well. But for some reason she had wished that her delusions about him could have been true. It was always only to be confronted with her own lies. For she knew that neither John nor she were fit to care for a child. She tried her best to understand to respect that Elizabeth was child. A child with a completely different mind and vision of the world. But the more she tried to understand it, the less she could empathize with it. she knew that Elizabeth deserved to play with toys and to make friends, she also knew that Elizabeth deserved to lie and to cry. But Diana simply could not respect it. She was a terrible mother, a disapproving and cold mother. Even if she truly felt love for her, she simply could not cope with the behaviour of children. She coped with it as much as she did with any other person. To Diana there was only her and John. For those two people she understood.

It was even more terrible to know that people sought Elizabeth to be a bland and mature child. There was no childish joy to be found within her. Elizabeth was a perfectionist when it came to her schoolwork, she was spoiled, she was crude, and she was very clever. She was exactly like Diana had been at that age. Whatever damage Diana could bring to the child, had already been delivered.