Smile...With Teeth

Chapter 24

~time flies when you're falling down,

I spread my rot all over this town,

And everyone of you looks the same,

And everyone of you feels the same~

~Hole~

"Ladies and Gentlemen of Gotham, thank you for coming to my shindig."

The gasps and screams were music to his ears. His men were lined around the edges of the large amphitheater, making sure they all stayed put.

"Settle down now, no need to try to leave, I personally invited you all here to my welcome back party." He paused to enjoy the crowd's sounds of despair. "I have been out of the game for a few years, and I am ready to make up for lost time."

The crowd had fallen mostly silent, only the random sobs could be heard. Joker took that as a good sign, he had their attention.

He smiled, "I know surprise parties aren't for everyone, but trust me, this one will be to die for."

The cries from the crowd picked up, he was having way too much fun. He held up his hands to shush the crowd.

"Before I get to my gift to the city, I want to catch you up on what's been going on in my life. I've gone through some very big changes. I have been neglecting you all, and for that I am deeply sorry. No need to fret anymore, I'm back, and sorry to disappoint ladies, I am officially off the market."

Gasps moved through the crowd. He would like to think it was disappointment at him being married, but he was sure it was because he had found someone to love him. He put his arm out for Peach. She skipped over and kissed his cheek. More gasps. Peach gave them a dirty looked and skipped back to the side, though not as far.

He turned to look at his audience. "I think you hurt the wife's feelings. That wasn't very nice." He scolded.

Joker smiled then, snapping his fingers. His men moved through the crowd. Joker had given the men gas masks, though he was almost positive it wouldn't save them. It made them feel better about what they were about to do. Explaining they would have to smash the slightly larger bottles on the ground.

"I have tried over these last few years, to enlighten you all. To show you the error of your ways." he paced the small stage. "I come back to the city to find the vast majority of the free citizens of Gotham, enslaved to the devices they held. I helped free you from that little snare. You spread that cure through the cyber networks all by yourselves. I couldn't be more proud."

The crowd looked confused. Perfect.

"One juicy story, and you spread it around, unknowingly of course. For that, I thank you." He laughed. "Now that you all are free, physically, I want to free you mentally. I want to take away all of the brainwashing done to you by society. I want to free the primitive side of you all. So as a wedding gift to my bride," he gestured to Peach. She grinned back like a mad woman "you all, my select group of Gothamites, will be given the gift... of ..... freedom."

He turned looking over the crowd. "Well, I hate to, uh, eat and run, but this is technically my honeymoon."

The spotlight cut and the vials were thrown. A cloud of pink filled the seats. Joker turned to Peach, seeing she was recording the whole thing on her phone. She was watching, eyes lit up in delight. She looked grotesquely beautiful. Screams brought his attention back to the crowd. The pink cloud was mostly gone. The people, all of them, had large grins pulled into their faces. Some screamed, some hunkered down onto themselves. And better yet, some of them attacked.