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He sways with the erratic movement of the van as a clown speeds away from Arkham. He couldn't get the sight of the dead guard out of his head. Would he ever be able to stop seeing it? How did J kill so many so easily? How did one get used to something like that? In that moment he could see the inhumanity that had to have lived in his brother. He hadn't seen it in him yet, but now Jake could see the darkness that had to have lived inside of him. Was that in him too?
Ace looks up from the wound in his leg to Jake. Ace could tell he was kind of out of it. Ace has to remind himself that Jake has never killed someone. Ace scoots closer to him. "Are you alright?" He asks taking note of the blood running down his face. He took a blow to the head, but Ace didn't feel like this was a concussion. No. This was shock. "Hey, it's ok. You had to do it. He woulda killed us both. But you acted fast. We got Mr. J back safe. I owe you my life sir."
Jake turns to face to Ace. It wasn't alright. He murdered a man that was just doing his job. Jake nods. He sees the blood on Ace's leg. In his distracted state he had completely forgotten about Ace getting shot. His doctors instinct immediately kicked in. His hands go to the wound and check to make sure that it wasn't near the main artery.
"It's ok. I'll be fine," Ace tells him, "ain't the first time I've taken a bullet. Probably not going to be the last either."
"It most certainly won't be alright if infection sets in," Jake says and continues to check the wound. He was a doctor. This was something to help him focus and not think about what had just happened.
"Really sir, I'm fine," Ace assures him, "Worry bout Mr. J. Those shocks wipe him out. They do that shit cuz their meds don't subdue him. But they give him too much. The shit fucks with his memory real bad."
Jake's eyes fall on his brother, crumpled in the floor of the van. His eyes were shut, his body limp. Jake's eyes then dart across the clowns in the van. He didn't want to draw attention to himself, but he couldn't just ignore his brother either. He pulls the Joker's body over to him. He places the Joker's head in his lap and looks down at the peaceful expression on his face.
"J? Can you hear me J?" Jake asks as he slaps his brother on the face several times. He's worried by his non-responsiveness. He's never been around anyone that's had shock therapy. He thought the practice had been long abandoned when studies showed no real proof that it worked. "J, come on, open your eyes and look at me," Jake smacks him a few more times. The Joker's eyelids part just a hair. His weak eyes seemed to be focusing on the blood that was on Jake's face. But within seconds, the Joker's eyes flutter shut again. "J? J wake up," Jake tries to shake him.
"He just needs rest. He'll be fine," Ace tells him.
Jake leans his head back against the wall of the van with a sigh. The day was really starting to weigh down on him. He just wanted to get back to Ivy. He wanted to crawl into bed next to her with her arms around him. He realizes that his hang ups about the life he took would be lost on everyone he knows.
