Jason lowers his head to the desk. He lines his nose. His finger blocks off the opposite side. And he snorts. Hard. Way back. Down the line. To the end. Till it was all gone. He immediately sits up. He throws his head back and sniffs. He swallows it down his throat. Snorts. Sniffs. Swallows. Again. He sits forward, his hand instantly going for the bottle of scotch to wash it all down. He turns it up. He opens his throat and let's it wash straight down. He chugs and guzzels. He sits it down, breathing hard. His hands grip the edge of the desk. His heart began beating faster, beating harder. He remembered this feeling. He takes a deep breath. Yeah, he remembers this.
Jason pushes away from the desk and stands. He reaches for his Jacket and slides it on. He pulls at it, straightening it. Not that it mattered, the rest of him was wrinkled. It looked like he'd been wearing it three days. And he had. Maybe four...humm. Fuck it. He leaves the office and goes toward the front door. He grabs a set of keys. He was going to see Bruce. He had to ask him about Harley. Screw whatever happens to him. He had to know.
"Boss, where you going?" Frost suddenly appears.
"There's something I've gotta do," Jason says as he reaches for the door.
"I'll come with you," Frost says.
"No. I have to go alone," he opens the door.
Frost shakes his head, "That's not a good idea Mr J."
"I'll be fine," Jason assures as he shuts the door behind him.
He goes to the parking garage. He doesn't even know what keys he's grabbed. He starts pushing the unlock button on the remote on the keyring. He hears a horn and looks up. He sees the headlights flash on a black car. He walks for it. A Lexus. Sitting on low profile 22's and black rims. He opens the doors. White leather seats, purple trim. A fancy J embroidered to the back of each. He gets in and cranks it. He hits the gas as he drops it down in gear. The tires spin and burn, leaving grey smoke as he speeds away.
His chest heaves as he breathes, heading straight for Wayne Manor. It was 7:45 am. Bruce would be waking up soon for work. If he's even slept. Jason is all too away of Bruce's behaviors. Alfred would be preparing breakfast. Jason hasn't seen Alfred since he left. It would be odd. He had cared for Alfred once. And Bruce. But that was then and this was now. He's not Jason anymore. The only thing he gives a shit about is Harley.
When he gets there he speeds up the driveway and to the front door. He slams on the brakes, sliding to a stop. He throws open the door and gets out, not even bothering to shut the car door. He goes to the door and presses the doorbell. He's not Jason, he tells himself. Jason is dead. He's buried in the Wayne cemetery behind Wayne Manor. He's the Joker. They think he's the Joker. He has to be the Joker.
The door opens. Alfred's face twists in confusion. "M-master J-J-oker. What are you doing here?"
"I'm here to see Bruce. Where is he?" Jason pushes past Alfred. He wants to bound up the stairs, straight to Bruce's room. But he's the Joker. Would the Joker know where Bruce's room was? Yes. But would Alfred know that he knows? Jason paces in the floor, trying to decide. He turns back to Alfred and shouts, "Where is he?!" He takes a step toward Alfred. He wasn't Jason. He grabs Alfred's lapels and shakes him, "Where is he?!"
"T-top of the stairs, f-first door on the left," Alfred says with fear in his eyes. He didn't know. Didn't know Jason was the Joker. He didn't know why he was asking for a room that he knows perfectly well where it is. But the Joker's memory was questionable. Especially with that tumor.
Jason jerks Alfred to the stairs. His drug fueled eyes search frantically. He grabs a curtain tie, ripping it down. He quickly ties Alfred to the stairs. "Stay there and don't say a fucking word," Jason growls as he shoves his finger in Alfred's face.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
He rushes up the stairs. He grabs the knob and turns it. He shoves open the door and finds Bruce buttoning his shirt.
Bruce's eyes immediately fall on Jason. They had all decided to let Jason continue being the Joker. J and Harley wanted to let him get caught. They wanted him to go through the competency hearing. They wanted him to go to prison. They wanted him to be sentenced to death for the Joker's crimes. But that wasn't what Bruce wanted. He wanted to help Jason. He wanted to make him Jason again. But until Harley had the baby he had to play along. She was in the guest room. Right this minute.
"J? What are you doing here?" Bruce swallows.
"Where is she?" Jason asks and starts for Bruce. Bruce brings his hands up. Jason goes for the gun inside his jacket. He quickly pulls it out. He cocks it as he points it right at Bruce's forehead. "Where the fuck is she?!"
"She's not here," Bruce says, staring at the gun. He never thought that Jason could do something like that. But the Joker could. He wasn't Jason. This wasn't Jason. This was the Joker. Jason was really starting to believe he was the Joker.
Jason shoves the barrel of the gun into Bruce's forehead. Bruce doesn't move but he draws his neck back as far as he can. "Where is she?!" Jason demands.
"Some new government agency took her from the scene. They're holding her somewhere. I don't know where," Bruce tells him.
"Bullshit!!" Jason screams and presses the gun into him even more. Jason reaches out and grabs Bruce's shirt. He pulls him to him, into the gun. "I know you know where she is!! Tell me!"
Bruce saw the desperation and anger in Jason's eyed. He saw they way they were dilated. "I did tell you. J, I don't know where they took her."
"She's not dead?" Jason asks, not pushing the gun into his forehead as far. "She didn't drown?"
"She did, but I saved her," Bruce says.
Jason moves away. He grabs his head, gun handle pressed to it. He breathes hard. She was alive. She wasn't dead. He felt a relief sweep through him. But where was she? How could Bruce, of all people, not know her location? He turned back to Bruce. "Tell me everything you know. What were they dressed like? How many of them? Any identification? What kind of car were they in? What did the plates say?"
"They were in military uniforms. The guy in charge was some guy named Flag. Colonel Rick Flag. They left in a black hummer. No plates," Bruce shakes his head.
Jason blinks and looks down. He harnesses his gun. He glances up at Bruce, "You know I love her? Right?"
"It shows J," Bruce says.
"Good," Jason again looks down. He turns to the door to leave. He had to find Harley.
"J," Bruce says and he turns to look at him. "You know I can't let you go."
Jason stares at him. Bruce could see desperation in his eyes again. "Please don't make me shoot you Bruce. I would derive no pleasure from it," and he turns away. He expected Bruce to do something to him while his back is turned. But Bruce says or does nothing. "Alfred is tied to the stairs." And he leaves down the stairs. He zips by Alfred, "Sorry bout that Al," and out the door. He leaves quickly before Bruce can have a chance to change his mind.
