Fawkes

Throwing Hands and Dodging Balls

It took me two hours to successfully hack into the Justice League database, and after copying important codes and information on the League, I found a file labelled 'Hershey'.

My heart began racing faster than it had all night as I clicked on the file and waited as a bunch of information appeared on the screen.

Information on me.

I had expected this to happen. I mean, I knew Batman didn't trust me, so it would make sense that he kept tabs on me. I saw his list of all my kills and who they were, which quickly made me sick and move on. I saw the article on my dead parents, my birth certificate, a long list of my permanent injuries, and a file labelled 'confidential'.

I clicked on it, holding my breath as it loaded at what seemed like negative a hundred frames per second. I drummed my fingers on the keyboard in anticipation, all the possibilities of what could be in this folder flashing through my mind.

And although a million answers came up, it still didn't prepare me for the truth.

An article, labelled to be posted two weeks ago, flashed in front of my face.

I read the first words, and then nothing else mattered.

I read the first words, just the title, and couldn't read anymore.

I read the first words and everything started ringing.

Because those first words were words that I had been dreading ever since things got suspicious.

THE JOKER ESCAPES FROM ADVANCED CELL IN ARKHAM, LEAVES NOTE ON WALL WITH GUARD'S BLOOD.

I forced myself to read through the article as I felt my heart shrink into my stomach and my head pound with fear.

I read about how the Joker managed to manipulate a security guard into helping him get out, and how he ended up killing that very guard in order to leave a message behind as he left. I looked up the article on the internet to find absolutely no trace on the matter. In fact, there was no way to find out that such information was true because it was all wiped from the source. This article hadn't even been published, but somehow I had no doubt that it spoke the truth. I knew it wasn't lying when it said the Joker had walked out of the front doors like it was his house. I knew it wasn't lying when it said that the Joker disappeared into the night and the police had no leads. I wasn't even surprised when I found out what the four words that the Joker used an innocent man's blood to write were.

The four words that I couldn't stop thinking about in that moment because I knew they were true. They were always true.

I will find you.

I found myself terrified and shocked at the same time, all thoughts of sleep escaping my mind. Because I knew that the Joker had never made a promise as full as that one.

Despite the fear and surprise, the one emotion I felt more than any other in that moment was anger. Anger directed at a certain caped crusader for keeping this information from me.

I wasted no time printing the article and grabbing it before hopping back into the zeta tubes. I didn't care that this was my third night of no sleep. I didn't care that it was nearly two in the morning and pitch black outside, I just got on a bus and hopped off to take another until I reached Uptown Gotham and more importantly, Wayne Manor.

I didn't even bother knocking after jumping the fence and avoiding the security I knew was employed. I just barged in. Luckily, Bruce was right there, looking as if he was about to climb the stairs before he whipped around upon my entrance.

"Hershey?" He frowned, "What are you—"

But then he saw the article, which was still clutched between my fingers as I marched up to him and shook it in his face.