The Half Lies of the Circus

Chapter Four - I & II

Chapter Four

I

I open my eyes, bleary. I don't remember falling asleep and then quickly remember the events of last night. The pain came as a rude awakening to my sleep and I gasp and grip my collar. Where my two collarbone meets its other half, like on every human, there is a small are without the bone. He shot me right there. I push myself up to sitting and find myself once again laying in joker's bed... How could he shoot me? Where is Joker? And um, not to sound ungrateful, but how am I alive..? I stand up off the bed as I take my first step towards henry's sleeping form, I trip on something on the floor, and trip forwards, and I let out a grunt of pain to find I fell on someone.

"I'm sorry." I whisper and I see it's Joker.

"Joker?" I whisper in surprise and he looks up at me, eyes half closed, his blue eyes peeking at me from behind his blonde hair. Once he realizes it's me, he hugs me tight and I let out a long groan of pain until he lets me go.

"I am so sorry Marly; so so sorry." He tells me and I take a gasp of pain as he sits me oddly and I nod.

"it's okay... But how did it heal? What's going on?" I ask, and I see tears start painting their way down his cheeks, glistening in the low light. I touch where he was shot and he winces.

"Didn't you heal already?" I ask stupidly.

"Mostly, but you know that when we go dark we only heal really bad injuries. My wound is nothing more than an abrasion now... And as for what happened? I snapped out of it as I saw you fall... Henry went dark so he could heal you, since his power is healing. Mr. Dust got the men back and told them it was all an act and they applauded us... Nick and Callie rushed you here and I wanted you to stay here." Joker explains slowly and it takes me a minute.

"Wait... So... You actually shot me?" I ask and he hugs me again, tightly.

"I'm so sorry Marly I am so sorry." He says and I push him away a little.

"I'm not Marly anymore... I am Marionette, and Mari to my friends. I am the doll of the circus. I am the Joker's girl, and I am proud to be who I am." I say and I see a smile play onto Joker's lips.

"Doll the romantic." Joker says smiling.

"Joker the illusionist." I comment and what I hear next sends me into a full blush.

"And Henry the healer," henry says, turning over to face us and then he smiles a touch, "You guys are cute. Really, you're really cute... but not at four in the morning when you, Mari, are supposed to be sleeping so you can heal." henry says and i wave my hand at him.

"But I am all ready to be performing! Thank you so much for healing me." I say and a mischievous smile plays across his mouth.

"Oh really? You're okay? Fine.. Then catch." He tells me and he launches a pillow towards my chest. I catch it, but a searing pain burns through my collar and i drop the pillow, bending over, groaning.
"You did that on purpose you jerk~." I groan, Joker's hand on my back and when I look up, I see henry wearing a confident smile. I just glare at him, and he nods, happy.

"Yes I did... But it was to teach you a lesson." He says and I laugh bitterly.

"What? Doc knows best?" I inquire and he smiles, a more genuine one.

"Yes... And that you need to trust that I will never lead you astray." Henry tells me and I nod.

"Yeah, yeah; but you don't gotta prove it like that." I tell him annoyed. He just smiles victoriously while Joker's head loudly clanks against the table, him having had thrown his head backwards into his "bed".