Almost Human - Chapter 1: Prelude to Madness

I hope you enjoy the little gift I left behind. I'd love to see your face right now as you receive it. Your blood must be boiling over, your heart racing for the horror your eyes have witnessed, your mind flooding with adrenaline to come after me. All that drive and resolve drowning that constant stoic and brooding stare. Oh, how I'd love to be standing right in front of you to witness the reaction to my present. But alas, my attention is needed elsewhere. That idiot Harley Quinn of mine cannot function properly without my lead. But don't you fret my dear Dark Knight, by the time you finished reading this I'll be waiting for you. I will be waiting on the rooftops of Gotham; they will function as our stage. The scarce stars and moon hanging over the light polluted pestilent city will be our spotlight. Join me darling for another dance in our magnificent play. I'll be waiting, I always am.

- Joker


Batman crumpled the note in his black gloved clutches and threw it angrily at the ground. It infuriated him how the crazed and deranged clown talked and referred lightheartedly how he murders and causes pain onto the innocent. The "present" in front of him further illustrated this point. In front of the Dark Knight was a man tied to a chair in the middle of the desolate and abandoned room. There was a huge window that let in the bright moonlight from outside. It bathed the room and revealed clearly the aftermath of the clown's madness to the detective. The man tied to the chair was just a nameless casualty to the psychopath's fun, that's how the lunatic saw everyone in Gotham. Batman did not share this sentiment. The poor victim had a name, David Garrison. He had a family, a job and a life before unfortunately crossing paths with the Joker. Now he was just a corpse, a stiff and smiling cadaver. That sickly grin stretched mercilessly across David's face, his eyes wide and his cheeks wet from tears of agony. This madness needed to stop, the Joker needed to be brought back to Arkham and locked away for good.

He stormed out of the room and ran up the stairwell that led to the roof. This was his mission; this was his duty, to protect Gotham from madness and depravity. But with each death that hanged over his head meant another failure, it meant he has faltered and failed to uphold his duty.

Batman busted through the roof door and as the door flung open, nearly off its hinges he saw the Joker standing alongside the edge with his back turned from him. The Joker turned, a wide blood red grin surfaced across his stark white face.

"Glad to see you came. Did you like my little gift? I'm such a considerate guy, ain't I Bats?" he giggled sarcastically. Batman said nothing; he merely gritted his teeth in outrage to the madman's mirth. "Oh I can see you're still seething in pent up wrath. But darling, I worked hard enticing your nonsensical notion of justice. So you can come after me with your relentless drive and fury."

"Do you think I like what you do Joker!?"

"Yes, if I didn't go around killing I could never draw out my little bat to play."

"Joker I despise all this… this death and depravity. It has to stop!" Batman growled as he began to approach. The contorted grin on Joker's face widened, he threw his arms up in the air and laughed maniacally.

"Come on Batsy baby! Let us add another wonderful dance to our grand play!"