Those Who Fall Down the Rabbit Hole | Batjokes |

Part Two

You know something he likes? Tigers, he likes tigers. Such magnificent creatures, all sharp teeth and smooth elegance. Tigers are nice. Unlike all other animals, which he considers such petulance, he thinks he could tolerate a tiger. Pet it maybe, if he saw one. But that's the thing, he's never seen one. He's looked though! He's always looked. Under every bed and behind every wall, he even checks twice (most of the time) before bombing a place, might one be lurking there. He wouldn't want to blow it up. No, no, that wouldn't be good.

But there never are.

Burning bright in the... the forest. And symmetry. And tigers. They all go together.

Immortal hands and eyes.

Tigers. Tigers are rare, so he wouldn't blow up a tiger. He would pet it, maybe die by it. Let it kill him.

That would be fun.

Giggles of excitement escape him at the thought. Yes, he should find a tiger.

What dared frame thy fearful symmetry?

A wavery voice breaks through his fantasy.

"B-boss?"

Joker groans. No, of course not. Of course he won't find a tiger in this dreaded city. You can't find a diamond among shit, just like you can't find tigers among pigs. This city is infested with them. He turns the wet knife on his hand as he cranes his neck to look back at the one trembling behind him. Joker should slaughter it right now, but he's killed too many of his goons already. He needs him until he's done with the whole "operation." Or maybe not, maybe he'll kill him on the way. Maybe he'll kill him now.

Instead, he looks back at the interrupter.

"What? It better be important Jose, working on something here"

The henchman's name was, in fact, not Jose. But would the not-Jose be correcting the man with a mangled corpse at his feet? No, no he wouldn't. He didn't sign up for this. He was here for the money. And if he hadn't lost rock-paper-scissors with the other guys, he wouldn't be here in the room. He tries not to look at the body the Joker is crouching over. He doesn't look. He doesn't look. Shit, he looked.

Not-Jose gulps.

"We-we should leave, the live broadcast ended twenty minutes ago. They might find us."

Joker nods. Ah, that. He'd forgotten about that. Boring killing and all. That's why he was spacing out. Because of how boring this all was. Usually, he would feel all tingly, excited during and after one of his killings. But today wasn't it. He might attributed to the fact that he had to ruin his perfect number for the sake of sending a message to the Bat Man. But he knew it was because he'd become tired of carving the same thing. Heart out, skin off. He'd made it a little more fun by taking out the heart while it was still beating. But it wasn't the same. This had become boring.

He didn't like boring.

"You're right, ma man Jose. You're totally right," Joker stands up, briefly glancing at his latest creation. He had to give it to himself, it was a pretty sight. How the whole thing came together with the blend of reds and pinks. He runs the knife over his pants to clean the blood off.

And what shoulder, and what art...

Dare its deadly terrors clasp?

Immortal eyes

Fearful symmetry.

He guesses he's mumbling again when Jose shakes a bit harder. God, he always gets the sissies.