#home by telling him ‘I still believe in Harvey Dent’. ?? The way movie The Long Halloween Bats doesn’t even know Harvey /super/ well by most

[ziracona]

I’m going to be thinking about this

One panel of comic for the next 8 years of my life

#Batman #Two-Face #batman gotham adventures #TwoBats #kind of???? Batman/Bruce loves him so much I can’t get over the innate tragedy and love of this relationship like you know what??? #you know what’s ungodly good and fucked up???? that tragedy permeates every inch of Bruce and Harvey’s relationship more deeply than any #other element possibly could but one and the one thread thicker in the relationship’s entire being is love #it’s a tragedy it’s tragic but it is never /quite/ as fucked up and tragic and it is deeply deeply kind and sweet and full of love and the #kind of hope that only exists at all because of it. the way Bruce in BtAS immediately starts reading books on the disorder before he even #sees him again? the letting himself almsot get shot to get through? Telltale finishing his bloody fight in the ruined front hall of his own #home by telling him ‘I still believe in Harvey Dent’. ?? The way movie The Long Halloween Bats doesn’t even know Harvey /super/ well by most #human standards but Bruce has literally no friends and never had except Alfred and Gordon so to him this is one of his closest friends and #that’s not a joke it’s real? when he spends the entire last third of part 2 desperately trying to help and telling everyone Harvey’s his #friend and needs help?? it’s real. when he tells Gilda ‘he was my friend and I failed him’? when he compromises his code in a massive way #for the first time and let’s someone get away with murders so Harvey can retain the one little piece of anything he still has which is #having protected the perosn he loves? it’s real. he means it. that’s his best friend. #they’re so *makes incomprehensible upset hand gestures*

[deathmetalunicorn1]

Can I request Yandere Platonic Two-Face, Harvey Dent and Batman/Bruce Wayne with Kanao Reader? (Harvey and Two-Face are split personalities, Harvey the Lawyer who wants to do right and Two-Face a violent mob boss to his enemies but gentle to those he loves, ex: His wife and his daughter, Reader)

Awhile before Harvey became Two-Face he discovers a young girl who can’t make any decisions for herself unless she’s told to (So he came to adopt her and gifts her one of his coins to help her make some decisions for herself if she’s unsure about what to do) and discovers Reader makes his darker personality much more tame (As they both have a kindred relationship when it comes to making decisions using a coin) unless she’s harmed or targeted in any way

However after he became Two-Face, Bruce Wayne takes Reader in to raise her (As a way to keep her safe until he can find a way to help Harvey come back) only to discover she has incredible fighting abilities and takes her in as another sidekick of his under his wing (She wears her Demon Slayer Uniform but has a mask to hide her identity)

Bruce has hope he can help Harvey after Reader shows she’s learning to make decisions without her coin as her crutch (Thanks to Robin)

-Harvey Dent remembered the day he found you, a little girl, lost in the dirty streets of Gotham, you were filthy, bruised, and emotionally numb from the abuse you had to deal with from your father, before he threw you out into the cold to survive on your own.

-You couldn’t have been more than six, but Harvey was never sure, because you were so malnourished and frail looking.

-He took you home, originally with the intent of cleaning you up and taking you to the police, but once he saw how emotionally fragile you were, he felt a tugging in his heart, one that led to him adopted you.

-The healing process took a long time, he cleaned you, tending to your wounds, and gave you plenty of food, all while treating you so gently, being a real father to you.

-Harvey discovered, later on, that you never seemed able to make decisions for yourself, you could never choose between things, be it movies or food.

-The day he gifted you a large silver coin was a turning point in your life, teaching you how to flip it, and telling you to make your decisions by flipping a coin.

-It was a slow process at first, but you were learning and Harvey was patient, and so was his wife, your adoptive mother, who nearly went feral after seeing the state you were in when Harvey first brought you home.

-You were showered with love with your new family, but when Harvey had his ‘accident’, becoming Two-Face, things changed.

-It was like he had two personalities, the gentle, loving father you’ve come to know and love over the years, and the other was a cruel mob boss who wouldn’t hesitate to kill another, usually using his coin to decide one’s fate.

-However, to you and your mother, Two-Face was soft around, being much like Harvey, but different, a different person, he was still gruff, but he would still always treat you with such gently kindness that you didn’t really care that your father was now two different people.

-Two-Face was only soft for you and your mother, you two were his weakness, and he protected those weaknesses fiercely, your home was always guarded, whenever you went out you had armed bodyguards who treated you like the princess you were, as they know if anything happened to you, it would be their heads.

-The only time he wasn’t soft around you is if you were threatened or hurt, then he was no holds bars until the threat had been taken care of, then he would turn back into a giant teddy bear, doting on and comforting you.

-Batman noticed the slight change in Two-Face, seeing that he wasn’t being as brutal as he normally would be, it made the crime fighter curious as to why the change.

-He investigated and couldn’t believe his eyes when he found Two-Face with a child, a young teenager, holding onto your hand on his Harvey side, out shopping together.

-He had no idea that Harvey had a child, but after a bit more digging, Batman figured out that you weren’t his biological child, as you looked nothing like him.

-Batman was concerned, after tailing you for a while, seeing how emotionally numb you were, but he knew Harvey and Two-Face had nothing to do with it, as he had seen his enemy treating you so carefully, so gently.

-Not willing to risk your safety, knowing how volatile Harvey could be, switching back and forth between personalities in only moments, Batman whisked you away so you could be safe until he brought Harvey back.

-You weren’t really sure what to make of this weird, masked man, he said he took you from Harvey, until he could get the help he needed, so you would be safe.

-He said you had something called ‘Stockholm Syndrome’ when you told him that you were already safe with your father, that he was always nice to you and never once, even after becoming Two-Face, did he make you afraid of him.

-Batman didn’t believe you, keeping you at a massive mansion, keeping any and all ways from you trying to reach out to your father, who was currently tearing Gotham apart looking for you.

-After meeting Bruce, Batman’s landlord, or at least that’s what he told you, he found out more about you, that Harvey found you as a child and took you in instead of taking you to the police or the orphanage and he’s raised you since there, almost six years now, and he helped you learn, gave you lots of food, and you became healthy and happy, or as happy as you were able to portray.

-The Bat Fam was a little thrown off by how much of an airhead you were, thinking Batman, Robin, Nightwing, and the others were just tenants of Bruce, who lived with his butler and various adopted children, not putting two and two together.

-Damien was quick to cling to you over the three months you were trapped, teaching you how to make decisions without your coin, it started off small, like chocolate or vanilla ice cream, and while you did appreciate his assistance, you still wanted to go home to your father.

-Bruce was stunned by your skills with a sword, after Damien wanted you to learn how to defend yourself, just in case, you looked so natural with a sword, like it was a missing piece of the puzzle.

-Batman tried to recruit you, but you refused, not wanting to be another one of his sidekicks, not liking the idea because you knew it would lead to you fighting your father and his men, which you refused to do.

-That is, until you realized that this was your chance to get out of the cage that Batman and Bruce put you in, and while not mistreated, you couldn’t leave.

-You felt bad, trying to deceive your new friends, like Robin, who was strangely similar to Damien as far as personalities went, and they all found it hysterical you couldn’t figure it out.

-You went out, wearing a black and white uniform with tall boots, looking similar to a Japanese officer’s uniform rather than a suit like Batman’s, using your sword, and you did have to admit, beating up bad guys was rather fun, as it gave you peace that bad people like this weren’t on the street anymore.

-You made the realization one night that your dad was one of these bad people, and it rocked you to the core, sending you into a near panic attack.

-You didn’t want to believe that he was a bad guy, until you realized that he was doing stuff these other bad guys were doing, sometimes even worse things!

-He was always so nice to you, he never yelled at you and made sure you were safe because he wanted you protected!

-Two-Face’s heart broke when he found you, laying a trap for the Bat Fam, and he immediately recognized you, removing your butterfly mask, and he froze when you recoiled from him in fear for the first time in your life.

-You asked him why did he do bad things, why was he a villain, and he was quick to point the blame to Batman, claiming he tainted you, turning you against him, brainwashing you!!

-You don’t remember the fight, having a breakdown as the two sides tried to attack one another, falling into a dead faint.

-Harvey, seeing you had fainted, took over and rushed to your side, cradling you close as Batman approached with the intent on taking you back and locking him up.

-Batman could see the anguish on Harvey’s side of the face, seeing that he didn’t want to lose you again, before Two-Face took over, “You’ll have my daughter over my dead body!” Batman could see that you were the one thing the two agreed on, that they were going to keep you safe.

-Bruce arranged for your dad to get the help he needed, promising you that once he was deemed sane, you and him could go home together, and Bruce would bring you to see your dad.

-The first visit you had with him you had leapt into his arms, sobbing loudly, showing the first real emotion in basically your whole life, as you felt so guilty for calling your dad a bad guy, but he didn’t blame you, and just held you close.

-It was going to be a healing process together, but Two-Face was willing to do anything to keep you by his side. Anything.

#kanao reader #two face #harvey dent #batman

[imagineswelcome]

Beauty and the Beast

Joker (Heath Ledger) x reader

Events take place during the 2nd Nolan movie, The Dark Knight.

Prompt : You meet the Joker, he kidnappes and you end up to take part of almost all his crimes. How did you come to that?

You’re Y/N L/N, a famous physicist in Gotham. You work for the Wayne Compagny on sustainable energy sources, you have a great job, a great flat in Gotham and basically a great life !

You wake up as every morning but you realise you already have receive a letter. You are invited to a party at the Wayne penthouse, yes, the billionaire burn his house to crisp, who does that ? Anyway. The party is a found raising for Harvey Dent. The name seams to ring a bell but you’re not sure.  But the party is this evening, you reaaaally need to do some shopping, fortunatly it’s Saturday and you’re not working. You go to your favorite shop and you find a black dress which seems to be made for you. It perfectly suits you and you look incredible. You already know that it will match perfectly your Louboutin heels you offered yourself for Christmas. You will be stunning even if you are not a billionnaire as probably all of the other guests.

The time has come. Party time. You don’t know what you expected but definitely not that : you’re « talking » with an annoying billionnaire who isn’t even listening to you and believe that the earth might be flat. As a physicist you have loads of strong points to prove him wrong but he is a rich white man who don’t care about what you have in your head since he likes what he sees. An helicopter sound saves you from this terrible conversation. It seems that Brune Wayne is really a drama queen, you believed he is brilliant but never thought he would be the kind to be late and showing off with three top-models. After a very little speech on Harvey Dent, the party start again, this time you rush to the barman to enjoy a well-deserved drink. This man was such a pain. You were enjoying your free drinks when a gunshot was heard. The terrorist from the TV has come out of the elevator and is asking for Harvey Dent. You don’t know why but you wanted to see the man, the Joker, with your own eyes so you come closer to the scene. Harvey Dent girlfriend has the courage to come to the Joker and to tell him that Dent isn’t here. But he starts to come closer to her with a knife. You don’t know why, maybe you has a sorority instinct, but you call out for the Joker, he turns back to you and Rachel kicks him. And everything went so fast. Batman was here and starts to fight the Joker men but the Joker grabs Rachel and throws her out of the window. Batman jumps to safe her. But if Batman just jumps, who stays to protect you ? Once the Batman jumped, the Joker comes directly for you. You are paralized, all the courage you had just vanished. He grabs your arm and says « You come with me, beautiful. » You try to fight but there is no way for you to escape the Joker and his men push you in the elevator and in their van. You’re being kidnapped, of course you left your phone on the bar and you have no way to call for help. After a long enough moment, the van stops. Someone opens the back door and you hear : « Hi. I’m the Joker. Nice to meet you Y/N. Very nice indeed. I’m following your work at Wayne Enterprises and I can say that I’m, uhm, very impressed to have you here with me. » You were expecting everything but that. The Joker is a fan of physic ? Moreover a fan of you ? You must have look surprised because he adds «  Don’t worry, I won’t hurt you. I just want to talk to you. Let’s have dinner. » And you find yourself answering ackwardly « uhm, ok. »

And you actually spend a really good evening, the Joker is a gentleman, he likes quantum physic and to make jokes (as his name made you guess). But it seems to be too good to be true. He is a killer and as charming as he wants to be with you, he kidnapped you. He told you you needed to stay at his place for a few days, that he can’t bring you back just now. People will think you’re part of the plan but he doesn’t want you to get involved in all the chaos. He shows you an incredibly cosy bedroom, there were several outfits in the closet. Not that bad for a kidnapping. You spend three days in this mansion/warehouse : it was a warehouse, at least you believed since you never saw the outside but the inside was a mansion with staircase and rooms. It was simple decoration but the place in itself was curious in the good way. You could discover it even if there were guards at every entrance to prevent you from any kind of escape. Every evening you had dinner with the Joker, he never talked to you about his evil plans, never screamed at you. He was nice but it was wrong.

The fourth day, a bodyguard came to you and told you to go on a truck but like a big big truck, the ones that usually have huge cargots inside. The Joker was at the back with an arsenal and something that looked like a bazooka. You were on the passenger sit. The Joker told you that he had something to do before bringing you home. You understand that it is definitely something dangerous and illegal probably involving murder and explosion. Great. You’re in the same car as a murdering psychopath. You don’t seem to have been kidnapped. You hope that the GCPD will not think that you are an accomplice or something like that.

But it was only the beginning of your problems, the Joker just shot an officer so he can drive through a closed road and he is now targetting a GCPD van with the bazooka. Oh lord. Is it the Batman outside ? Damn. An helicopter just fell on the ground. This is chaos. Batman is charging the truck you’re in now. Did he miss ? Oh god, he did n…

You blacked out for a little and wake up, you seem to have been thrown through the windscreen. Every muscles and bones of your body hurt. Several pieces of glass have cut you. You try to stand up and you see the Batman on the ground, lying like a dead man on his back with the Joker on him. Suddently you feel someone grabbing your arms on your back. « You’re under arrest, you fucking cop killer ». He pushes you against the reversed truck and handcuff you. You’re incapable of saying something, everything hurts.

Once in the GCPD department, the not-so-kind officer take your prints and your belongings and threw you into an interrogation room. You try to explain several time that you really need to see a doctor, you are in so much pain but they aren’t listening to you. The female police officer in charge of your interrogation comes closer to you and press her finger on an open wound you have on you arm. « Now you talk. Tell me everything you know. » It hurts to much. Maybe the only way to make them call the doctor is to force them to make you see a doctor. Because they don’t care about what you have to say. The female officer is still close to you, since you’re sitting on a chair with only handcuff on you wrists, you rise up and block her neck with your handcuffs. « I. Want. A. Doctor. », you run out of the room with the officer as your hostage and head for a big place where there are a lot of people. They probably can get you a doctor. They are celebrating something or what ? Is it applause that you’re hearing ? You scream out of despair « I need to see a doctor ! » They all turn out to you and start reaching their guns. You repeat with a softer tone « I’m really injured, all of my body hurts, I really need to see a doctor, please. It was the only way for you to hear me. She wasn’t trying to help me, she hurted me even more. » As you were explaining the situation, you saw that the Joker was in the room too, behind bars. And his gaze was full of compassion and a bit of anger but it wasn’t because of you. It was because of the police-men. An officer with a mustache and glasses start to talk « It’s ok Miss, let her go, we will help you ». « I won’t let her go before I see the medic in this very room. I don’t believe you » was your answer. The officer order to bring the medic here. And you finally let the woman go. The medic bring you into a cell for more privacy and also because you were a suspect and you will probably not get out of the GCPD any time soon. The medic was actually pretty kind to you, he diagnosed a broken forearm, four broken ribs and several contusions all around your body but there may be more, he couldn’t tell exactly how broken you were without a radiography. He took care of your wounds and left you to sleep. He told you that you’ll go to the hospital tomorrow and that you should rest now. You almost instantly fell asleep.

You have been waken up by an explosion. You try to see something through the little window of your door but everything was dark. You sit on your bed, listening to everything, trying to understand what happened. A little after that, you heard footsteps and a key in the hole of your door. When the door opened, you realise that it is the Joker. You start with visible confusion « How… did you… ? » The Joker cut you « We don’t have much time. Come ». The Joker wasn’t alone, an other prisonner with handcuffs and several of this complices were there too.

The Joker let his men go with the prisonner and ask you how you were. You told him what the medic said. « You’re going to see my doctor » he said. With a stolen police car, you were now heading to where the Joker lived in town and see another doctor who, this time, could do some bandages for your broken arm.

The Joker actually lives in a mansion. Maybe he is a guy of simple taste but when he can, he choses comfort. He brings you food, clean clothes and show you a room where you can rest. You took a shower and inspect you body. You never have been this injured before. And you promess yourself that you will never be this injured expect if you chose to be in a dangerous situation. Noone will ever hurt you again. You’ll not let them. Even if they are the police. Even if they are supposed to do the good. What’s good ? Does this word still have a sense in this world ? The Joker is a bad guy but he was good to you, he respected you, was interrested in what you had to say, listened to you while the « good » policemen did not. The Joker may be a mad man but he could be very kind, and funny, and he sometimes makes sense. Deep sense. When he talks about the established order and all the hypocrisis of the world.

After all this thoughts, you decide to sleep and you sleeped for a whole day. Your body and your soul needed it. When you wake up, your first reflex is to turn on the TV to check the news. The Joker has blown up an hospital. But it was actually an empty hospital. Everyone has been evacuated before the explosion.

It was dark outside. You dressed up and went downstairs to find something to eat. You were starving. You were surprised to discover that you were alone in this house, no one was there to guard you, no one was here to stop you from getting outside. Incredible. You were free. Again ! And you made another promess to yourself, you’ll be free forever. When you arrived in the kitchen, you saw a note on the table. It was from the Joker :

« Dear Y/N,

I am sorry for all the trouble I caused you. I truly am. Tonight is the final act. We’ll probably never see each over again but I had a great time talking with. You are a truly amazing person. Never let anyone make you think you are not. You are capable of everything you want to accomplish.

Love.

J »

But. But. But you don’t want not to see him again. You realise that you actually care for him, that you want to know him, to talk to him. As a friend first but maybe you are ready for more.

You turn on the TV with the hope to find where the Joker is and to join him. And it worked. He is filmed fighting Batman. He’ll never win. You know it and you know he knows it. He must have an ace in the hole. You check on the internet where this tower is and it is very close from this house. You run  in the house to find where the arsenal is. There must be one. It has to. And you found it. There are all sort of guns and accessories. You check the infos again. The Joker is in the air upside down with one feet tied. You have to rescue him. Even if that means that you become a criminal. You want to do it therefore you have to. You’re looking for a huge safety net of something like that. The thing that is used in circus. He must have one. You are incredibly lucky because he actually does. You take it and walk as fast as you can to put it just under the Joker since this is pretty heavy. The SWAT is helping the hostages and arresting the accomplices. They don’t notice that you were installing a big net. You have also bring with you a kind of sniper. You never shot anything with a weapon like that but you have so notion of how to use a gun. You’re an american afterall and even with a broken arm you can use a weapon. After one missed shot, you manage to cut the wire which was holding the Joker. His fall seems to be eternal laugh. But the net does its job and you save him. You help him to get out. He seems surprised to see you. « Thank you Y/N. I am impressed. But for now take my hand and run.»

So you do and you both disappear in the darkness of Gotham small streets.

GIF not mine, credit to the owner.

#joker #joker x reader #joker x you #heath ledger #heath ledger joker #dc #dc villains #joker imagine

[positively--speculative]

Please give the deets on Tim Burton and characters of color. I missed that info somehow.

Long story short, he was interviewed while promoting Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children and someone brought up diversity and his reply was this:

“Nowadays, people are talking about it more…[but] things either call for things, or they don’t [...] I remember back when I was a child watching ‘The Brady Bunch’ and they started to get all politically correct. Like, OK, let’s have an Asian child and a black. I used to get more offended by that than just… I grew up watching blaxploitation movies, right? And I said, that’s great. I didn’t go like, OK, there should be more white people in these movies.”

And honestly, it kind of took me by surprise, because he cast Billy Dee Williams as Harvey Dent for Batman Returns and had Warner Brothers not dropped Burton from future Batman projects, Marlon Wayans was going to play Robin. Let’s also not forget that Mars Attacks featured a Black family that helped save the world.

So, I mean, I will give credit where credit is due, but there are quite a few things in the above statement that bother me. For instance, the term “politically correct” is a red flag for me, because oftentimes, it’s used by people who are offended by the notion that we should think about our words and actions and how they affect other people. Also, the way he says “a black” instead of “black child” bothers me. Lastly, he doesn’t seem to understand the difference between blaxploitation films having predominantly Black casts and Black people and other people of color rarely being featured anywhere else besides our own projects whose main consumers are us.

Maybe it’s because I grew up with his films and that some of his films got me through some shit during my angsty teenage years, but part of me wants to believe maybe he just doesn’t get it. Maybe he’s still learning, but my common sense tells me maybe he doesn’t care as much as I or his other fans of color would like him to.

#anon #answered

[differentjokes4differentfolks]

WTFIT Chap 4

A.N. Here’s another chapter! Did I mention I love writing this? I do :) I hope you like this chapter, after this there might be some fluff…? Maybe, just maybe, haha. Anyways, enjoy! I’d love to hear what you guys think!

First 3 chapters

Does he really mean what I think he means? Bruce’s brow furrows in confusion, eyes narrow. He’d make headlines if he strangled the clown right here and now. And he can tell Joker knows that. So he doesn’t. “Why would you call me here for half-baked information?”

Joker folds his arms behind his head. “Well, I’ve been feeling a little…bored, you know? Saving the city is all well and good, for you. But me? I’m like a professor stuck in a kindergarten class. Elementary and all that.”

“So what do you want?” Bruce ask through gritted teeth. “We made a deal.”

“I know, I know. Just, make it a little more interesting. I’m not a messenger boy.”

Bruce can’t believe this. “You’re wasting my time.” He moves to stand up when Joker laughs lowly.

“Might wanna sit back down, Bruce. You never know what could happen.” His eyes are edged with malice, despite his cheerful expression. Bruce feels cold, his hand gripping the table tightly. He could leave, but that’d be leaving everyone else at Joker’s mercy. And who knows what Joker is hiding? He settles back in his seat. “Good boy. Now, where were we? Oh yeah. I’m bored. Come on, walk with me.”

“We haven’t gotten the check.”

“Who cares? Just put the money on the table and let’s go.” Joker stands up, stretching his arms up over his head. He stalks over to the door, gesturing for Bruce to follow with a tilt of his head. Bruce sighs, tossing a hundred dollar bill onto the table. At least one person will be happy today.

It’s breezy outside, the wind tousling his hair. Joker hooks his arm around Bruce’s, Bruce slightly self-conscious about whether or not anyone will take a picture. Any other situation and he’d ignore the paps, but now…

“Cold isn’t it?” Joker shivers. “I love fall though. Leaves crunching under your feet, Halloween. Ooh, just that word gives me chills. Costumes and pranks.” He sighs longingly. “Not to mention the fashion.” Bruce looks down at his sneakers and decides not to comment. “Oh, by the way, you might want to tell Alfred you won’t be home for a while.”

“Where are we going?” Bruce reluctantly takes out his phone to message Alfred.

Just go home, Alfred. I’m a little caught up at the moment. Don’t worry though.

“For a walk. But we’re going to talk. So tell me, how does a rich boy like you just up and decide on dressing up and beating people up as a hobby?”

Bruce brushes a fallen leave out of his hair. “You make it sound ridiculous.”

“It’s not? That’s news to me. So?”

“I just hated seeing so much crime on the streets. It’s awful, people are scared to walk the streets, even in the daytime.” Joker listens intently, his glasses back on his face. A strand of green hair peeks out from under his hood. “It gives people hope when they hear I’m taking care of things.”

“True. It’s fun going up against you though. Hearing people scream? Hilarious.” Joker bobs his head to some imaginary tune. Bruce glances around. They’re the only ones on the sidewalk for a ways, Joker steering him to the park.

“I think we should go see a movie, don’t you think so? Or maybe go to the museum. Or…”

Bruce quirks his lips, unamused. This almost sounds like a date. It’s an insane thought. He figures he isn’t the best company at the moment, he’s letting Joker do all the talking. As it happens, he doesn’t think the clown minds all that much.

Joker looks away, pausing in his jabber just a moment to focus on a nearby building. “I thought for sure they’d shut that building down.” Bruce takes in the building he’s talking about, a small shop that had been torn down during one of Joker’s ‘pranks’. It’s been rebuilt, a little candy shop that brightens up the rest of the street slightly. He can’t stand how casual Joker is about it. Stopping them in their tracks, he puts his hand on Joker’s shoulder. His grip is a little tighter than what would be comfortable, but Joker is unbothered.

“Joker.”

“What?”

“What are you planning?”

Joker rolls his eyes. “Please. I don’t plan stuff. I just go with the flow, maybe influence a couple of events when needed.”

“So what are we doing here?”

Joker’s smile dims. “Oh, you know. Just clearing my thoughts for a bit. Why, you worried?” His foot taps against the ground rapidly.

As much as Bruce wants to say “Yes” he shakes his head. “I’m just a little confused.”

“Well, don’t be. Believe me, once this whole thing is over things will be back the way they were. Consider this a week off for me.” Joker steps up to Bruce tauntingly. “Unless you don’t want me to help?” He stares Bruce down, eyes unreadable. It still amazes Bruce how quickly Joker’s emotions can change. Like shifting water. Bruce knows how deadly he can be, has seen it, and for the moment, at least, he wants to keep Joker out of his way. A relatively helpful Joker is better than another enemy, he decides.

“I want you to help. I just don’t know what you’re thinking.”

“And I can read you like an open book,” Joker says, eyebrows waggling. “Relax, Bats.” He reaches into his pocket. “This has been a nice little excursion, but I, unlike you, actually have some things to do. Time for you to catch up on beauty sleep, right?” He pulls out a list, waving it in front of Bruce’s face. “Alright. Here are the locations. I told you they’re guarded, but you won’t have a problem with that.” He takes his glasses off and tucks them into Bruce’s coat pocket along with the list. “See you later, Batsy. This was fun, we should do it again. Make it a Tuesday thing. Don’t lose that list!” he calls over his shoulder. Bruce waits till Joker turns a corner to look away, at more of a loss than ever. After a minute, he pulls out his phone.

“Alfred? I’m going to take a cab to the manor, I’ll be there soon.”

*

A long nap and satisfying dinner afterwards gives Bruce a little more energy when nighttime comes around. He looks over the various locations Joker gave him, sharing them with Oracle. Some of the areas are more out in the open, like the Statue of Justice and the Amusement Mile, others hidden in the docks, where he’d gone last night, and the clock tower. There’re even supplies hidden in the East End. He knows Selina doesn’t want him there, but he won’t risk any equipment getting into the wrong hands. The sooner he can get them and take out Dent and Cobblepot the better. He hasn’t any idea where Dent is hiding, he hasn’t heard a peep. Tonight that’s another of his top priorities. Dick offers to take on the Statue of Justice. Bruce agrees, he’ll have his hands full with the other areas.

It’s once he’s on the road that Oracle contacts him again.

“I found Dent. He’s with that group I mentioned yesterday. It doesn’t look good, Batman. They might even have a hostage, if I can trust what I’m hearing. You should probably check that out.”

“I’m on it.” The group is on Founder’s Island, if he remembers right. He isn’t too far from that right now. A beep comes from his watch, pulling up the screen he sees Oracle’s sent him coordinates. Right in middle of the island, where what used to be Cobblepot’s mansion lies in shambles. An odd hiding spot, but it doesn’t matter, as long as Bruce can stop them.

He speeds past buildings still under construction, a few skyscrapers here and there. He can’t recall the island ever looking this dilapidated, even though they’re starting to rebuild. It’s a shame too. The island has a really nice view looking out on the water, especially at night. Cobblepot’s mansion lies in a more woodsy area, one that barely peeks out behind the city of rubble. Bruce parks the Batmobile a small ways away, listening to see if he can pick up on any conversation through his earpiece. Unlike Joker’s hideout, the base is clearly swarmed by thugs. They look like ants from Bruce’s vantage point of a tall tree. He can’t see any crates, he notices. They must be in the basement. Along with Dent.

He drops from the tree quietly. He’s going to need a closer look.

“Can you believe we’re guarding boxes from Batman?” On of the men pipes up, him and another on patrol. Bruce stays hidden nearby.

“Shh! He might be listening, you idiot. This place has plenty of hiding places.”

“I noticed. You picked one for when the Bat does show up? You’re looking a little pale.” His partner elbows him. They continue to mock each other, model cronies, while Bruce sneaks closer to the nearly collapsed building. He’ll need to be super careful here. More goons pass by, leaving an unfinished hallway clear. It’s dark, but Bruce doesn’t want to take any chances. The new infrared boost Lucius gave him comes in handy, and he makes sure no one is in the hall before going through. Scuffed red carpet makes for quiet steps, and he keeps his infrared sensors on.

He sees Dent before he hears him, not barking out orders but having a conversation through the phone. He stands in the middle of the only room still standing, albeit with half a wall missing.

“Yeah, I got the stuff. Geez, you planning on blowing Gotham to the moon? You could power a rocket with what we got.” His more human face is towards Bruce, but his gaze is over at the empty fireplace, where old pictures stand on the mantle, cracked and weather worn. Bruce can barely see them in the darkness, but he notices a chair in the corner, where slight noises are audible. Through his night vision he can see it’s a person. The hostage Oracle was talking about. “We don’t even have to wai–yeah, I know, I get it. The more people the better.” So it’s Harv talking. Harvey is a bit more rational than that. Before he takes down Dent he should check the basement. The more he can prevent future damage the better. A heavy door hides the stairs, one that slides out of the way. Bruce curses squeaky steps as he descends. No wonder they tore down the place. His vision reveals ten in the basement. Easy, once he gets rid of their guns. Might as well go with a surprise attack, they’re armed with only flashlights to see in the dark. One makes the unfortunate mistake of stepping too close to him, Bruce taking him down before he can cry for help. One down, nine to go. There’s a cluster closer to the crates, conversing quietly. An outlier stands to the side, guarding what Bruce guesses is another door to the first floor. He takes that man down as well, turning the flashlight off.

“Benny? Why’d you turn your light off?”

Bruce uses his clawshot to shoot up to the ceiling, waiting expectantly for the henchman to walk closer to the downed guard. This is easy.

“He probably just needs new batteries. Maybe he’s in the next room.” One of the men by the crates says casually.

“Maybe,” the man investigating doesn’t sound convinced, his beam of light moving around the room, illuminating the high ceiling briefly. The light comes a bit too close for Bruce’s to feel comfortable. Then the beam settles. He hears footsteps retreating. “Man, I must be imagining things. The sooner Friday comes the better.”

Bruce lowers himself. There’re eight left, all armed with guns. He could try more stealth attacks, but at this point it’d be better to take them all out at once. He equips his disruptor, rendering the men’s guns useless. Now for the fun.

He rushes the men, evading the beams of light. One notices him, eyes full of shock. Bruce knocks him out first, catching another in the chest. The rest come at him, and he’s a flurry of fists and kicks. A few cry out, but Bruce assumes no one can hear upstairs. After all, the walls of mansions really are supposed to be good quality.

When he’s finished he places a tracker on the bottom of a crate, turning it on. It should alert the GCPD to come after it, and this time he intends to stay with them while they pick it up. No one’s heard the fight, they would have come down by now. Dent is still upstairs, Bruce can imagine him still flipping his coin agitatedly.

His return upstairs has Dent lounging next to the fireplace. He’s finished with his conversation, now flipping his coin idly. If that’s all you wanted to do you should’ve just stayed in Arkham, Bruce thinks bitterly. The hostage is still seated. Bruce decides he’s had enough of watching. He steps out of the shadows.

“Batman?!” Harvey cries, outraged. “You aren’t supposed to be here!”

“No, but then someone decided to escape from Arkham,” Bruce says. “Now, you’ll either come quietly or unconscious.” He stands in a defensive pose.

Dent just laughs hollowly. “I’m going to assume you took out my men in the basement. There are more outside, you know.”

“I know. So are the GCPD.” As if hearing the conversation, bright red and blue lights flash through the windows. Dent looks outside, gritting his teeth.

“I won’t go back.” He pulls a gun out of his coat. Bruce takes his cue and charges, knocking Harvey’s arm. The shot goes into the cracked ceiling, where pieces of it fall onto the two. Tightening his grip on Harvey’s arm, he forces the criminal to drop his gun. Dent growls, spitting at Bruce. He elbows Bruce’s head, kicking at the same time. The assault packs a punch and Bruce recoils slightly. Dent takes that opportunity to run, though where to Bruce doesn’t know. There’s at least a dozen cops outside, and besides that, he isn’t done with the two-faced villain.

“You think I enjoy being cooped up in that prison day after day?” Dent asks between pants.

“You made that choice yourself,” Bruce responds. His hand snags at Dent’s coat, dragging him back. Harvey tries to escape, picking up a piece of furniture that lies shattered, the wood jagged at the end. He swings it at Bruce’s head with force, fury blazing in his eyes. Bruce grabs at the wood, pushing against it, straining until he can pull the broken leg away from Dent’s hands. It’s a battle of endurance, one Bruce ends up winning. In a show of strength he whirls Dent around, punching him squarely in the jaw and disorienting him. The villain slumps to the ground with a low moan, eyes slipping closed. Bruce looks down at him wearily before focusing on the man in the chair. He makes muffled whimpering noises as Bruce draws near, his struggling more vigorous. Bruce peels the tape from his mouth. In the flashlight’s beam he doesn’t recognise the hostage.

“Why did they take you,” he asks quietly, undoing the ropes that keep the man in the chair.

“I d-don’t know, I was just working when they came after me, and next thing I knew I was here. S-said I had to do disappear.” The man’s voice comes through in shaky breaths. Upon further inspection Bruce sees a nametag reading Brian Hanover. In the top corner of the tag it reads Gotham Gazette.

“You’re a reporter.” Figures. They have a knack for getting in the middle of things.

The man nods. “Yeah, but I wasn’t looking for them. I was just trying to write about how things are getting better on the island, more buildings being rebuilt, and they f-found me. I wasn’t tracking them, honestly.” He shivers. “I just want to go home.”

Brian was at the wrong place at the wrong time. Bruce hates when that happens, that normal civilians are inconvenienced whenever some egotistical psychopath decides to smash the city to pieces. He leads the reporter outside, stopping by Dent, who lies on the ground, motionless. He picks him up and slings him over his shoulder, calling the Batmobile. Gordon isn’t with the cops this time, which Bruce thinks means there must be trouble elsewhere right now. Instead Montoya greets him, lips twisted when she sees Two-Face.

“You got Dent. That bastard.” She glares at the unconscious man. “You want us to take him to the GCPD?”

“I’d feel safer if I did it. But Mr. Hanover here needs to go back to his house.” Bruce gently pushes the shocked man towards Montoya, who steers him into the back of a car. He puts Dent in the Batmobile, stepping into it himself. The flashing lights on the cars slice through the air, cops shoving thugs into the back seats. He waits until the police start to drive away, following them to keep them safe. No one tries to stop them and they make it to the GCPD without any trouble.

Dent is wide awake when he stops the car, shouting angry curses at Bruce. Bruce tunes him out all the way to the cells, where he deposits the criminal.

“If you’re smart you’ll stay there for once,” He barks at Dent, who glowers, his face half hidden by the cell bars.

“You’ll regret this, Batman. I might be here, but I’m not the only one who wants you and Gotham’s ‘finest’ gone. Just wait.”

“Right.” Bruce turns his back on the man. He has other things to deal with. A quick comm to Dick is in order. “How goes it, Nightwing?”

“Piece of cake! There’s stuff here, but it’s mostly just fireworks. A distraction, maybe? Ah, hold on.” Bruce hears a quirky one-liner and groans of pain before Nightwing is back on the line. “I’ll get this moved. Hey, you think we can use them for the fourth of July?”

Bruce’s mouth twitches in the hint of the smile. “Stop messing around.”

“Yessir, right away sir. Want me anywhere else?”

“Just look around for anything suspicious in the East End. I’ll join you when I’m done with the Amusement Mile. Watch out for Catwoman. She doesn’t want us there, but she might help if she hears what’s in her corner.”

“Yeesh, you just don’t want to face her yourself, right? I don’t even like cats.” Bruce hears a sigh. “Okay. Have fun at the amusement park!” Dick’s last words are teasing as he hangs up. How on earth did Bruce ever think he would act serious? Everything is a game. But as long as he keeps his focus he’s a devil in battle. There are few people in this world that Bruce trusts as much as than Dick Grayson and even less he trusts more.

*

Rain starts to fall, just like last night, making the sky even darker. The Batmobile’s windshield wipers work furiously as he drives. The amusement mile isn’t too far, but roads can be especially treacherous in Gotham’s ever changing weather. Lightning illuminates the rides as he gets closer, rollercoasters towering over him. It’s a horrific sight, like something in a cheap slasher movie. The merry-go-round’s horses are gruesome in shadow, the other rides broken apart in places. Bruce has been here more times than he’d like, mostly to deal with a certain occupant of the funhouse at the far side of the park. Yes, he’s familiar with the Amusement Mile.

Speaking of the Devil…

“Well it’s about time.”

“This isn’t the only area on the list,” Bruce reminds Joker, who waves away Bruce’s words.

“Why waste time on technicalities? Well, you’re here now.” Joker looks around appraisingly. “Gotta love this place. Lots of memories in amusement parks. You and Jim know all about that, don’t you?”

This isn’t that amusement park, but Bruce grimaces all the same. If he had a list for top ten most insane things the Joker has done, that would be at least in third place. Bruce has never really forgiven him for that incident. Not that Joker’s been going around looking for forgiveness. Quite the opposite. “Don’t mention that while we’re working together.”

“Did I hit a nerve?” The clown coos, eyes mirthful. His lips press together, quirked in thought as he studies Bruce curiously, like the man standing across from him is an odd puzzle. “Don’t ask me to feel guilty about it, because I’m not. But I won’t mention it as long as we’re working together, if it makes you feel better.” He tilts his head down, playing coy. His smile is too sardonic to be sincere when he says, “See? I’m a good partner. Anything else you need, Bats?”

“Just–” Why didn’t I lock him up? “Just keep quiet,” Bruce gets out. Joker giggles, which only increases his anger at the clown. But Joker is chaos incarnate, a tangible maelstrom of insanity, and Bruce understands that that’s a part of who he is, as much as he hates it. So for now he’ll put up with it.

“Can you see anything?” Joker asks, a few feet behind and lounging on the carousel. “This place is like a ghost town. I’d love if it had some lights. Fireworks too.”

“This place is too run down.” Bruce says.

“Perfect, then.” He jumps off the horse, sprinting into the hall of mirrors. Bruce doubts he’ll find anyone in there, and he doesn’t think he’ll need the clown anymore, so he continues on to the funhouse.

Buildings of scraped red and white are all around him, the wood rotting. How long has it been since this park was open for the public? He guesses at least thirty years. He remembers passing by this with his parents and wondering why he couldn’t go inside. Now he wonders why it hasn’t been torn down. Papers little the streets, shredded by rain, posters warped. The colours are dull around Bruce, but light shines through the slits of the funhouse in front. The way it’s not even trying to be discreet unsettles him. Why aren’t they trying to hide more?

His infrared acts up more and more as he nears the fun house, sputtering in and out. What he does read is at least twenty men in the funhouse alone, half armed in the mismatched halls and openings. There’s an entrance at the top of the building, for maintenance. Bruce grapples up the the top, the building still sturdy enough to support him without creaking. This must be the strongest building in the park. No wonder it’s still standing.The latch that pulls up the maintenance hatch falls apart in Bruce’s hand, but not before he can sneak a hand under it to finish pulling the door up all the way. Light pours through, as well as the whirring of machinery. He peers through cautiously.

Men stand around a giant crate, a hose coiled next to it and connecting to whatever is in the box, the other end disappearing down one of the more shadowed areas. The whirring comes from a large contraption in the corner of the house, divided by the interior walls. He’s going to look into that. But the only people here seem to be regular thugs. Why isn’t it guarded by a more serious villain as well?

“Oracle? Have you heard anything strange about the funhouse in the amusement mile?”

“That place? Yes, but Batman, everything looks normal, aside from a few men.”

“Are you sure?” Oracle’s response is surprising, he knows what he sees, and it’s far from ordinary. “What about the crates?”

“I’m not sure. I’m sorry, my computers are going fuzzy. I can see if they have something I can hack into, but for now everything is in order.”

“Alright, thanks Oracle. I’ll check it out.”

“Take care, Bruce. If my computers aren’t working then who knows what’s going on.”

That’s what I’m worried about too.

#batjokes #joker #batman #dc #my fic #batman x joker #wtfit

[hysterialevi]

In the Smoke pt. 3 (Cobblebats)

From Bruce’s POV

PRESENT DAY

I stood in the middle of Crime Alley, examining a bronze plaque on the ground that had my mother’s name engraved on it as rain poured down from the pale, early-morning sky, the sounds of the city slowly starting to wake up. 

Today was the anniversary of my mother’s death, and normally I would’ve waited to visit her with Dad, as I usually did, but something in me just couldn’t sit still any longer. Even though twenty years had already passed ever since her murder, every single detail from that night remained well and alive in my mind, as fresh as the moment it happened, and countless nightmares still plagued my dreams.

I slid a hand down my face, wiping some of the rain away from my eyes as I went to lean against a brick wall. The more time I spent in Crime Alley, the more I continued to replay my mother’s final words, “Tell Hill he’s making a mistake.” What did they mean? What did Hill have to do with any of this?

As a child, I truly thought I would’ve had the answers to everything by now, but in reality, I only had more questions. Hill was involved with my mother’s death somehow--I knew that much--and he was also involved with something that concerned the Cobblepots. I just didn’t know what.

And actually, I never learned exactly what happened to them. But not too long after my mother was killed, Esther was suddenly declared criminally insane and committed to Arkham Asylum before her eventual death, which led to her husband’s suicide, leaving Oz all alone and orphaned.

I sighed to myself in sorrow, solemnly gazing at the towering movie theater in the distance. Oz and I never got to see that movie like we planned, or do anything else for that matter. Instead, both of our families were torn apart within the span of a few weeks, and before I knew it, Oz had disappeared from the face of Gotham without any warning. It was like the entire city just...forgot...about him. No one at our school seemed to care about his absence, and my father never mentioned a word about him. You’d think he never existed.

I remembered hearing rumors and whispers that he had been shipped off to England after his parents’ deaths, but I had yet to find anything to confirm that. We lost touch ever since he left, and neither of us were able to contact the other while he was gone. I wondered if he still remembered me, after all these years. Hell, I didn’t even know if he was still alive anymore. By now, my brain was just a never-ending list of questions that continued to lengthen with every day, and I was determined to learn as much as I could.

“There you are.”

Snapping out of my trance-like state and back to reality, I realized that I wasn’t alone. Shielding himself from the rain with a black umbrella, Harvey Dent stood not too far away from me, beaming and optimistic as always. 

“Harv?” I greeted, pleasantly surprised. “How did you find me?”

“W-well, when I checked the manor and Alfred said you weren’t there, there was only one other place I could think of to look for you.” Harvey cleared his throat and glanced at my mother’s plaque, his head lowering in sympathy. “If you, erm, need to be alone right now, I completely understand.”

“No,” I quickly replied, “it’s all right. I could use some company, actually.”

“Oh,” Harvey smiled, “well, in that case...” He stepped over to my side and placed the umbrella above my head. 

“Such a gentleman.” I complimented.

He chuckled lightly. “I do my best.”

Sitting in the heavy rain, the two of us enjoyed the rare solitude, savoring this short moment of peace before we would have to return to our dull, everyday lives. Glancing over at the other, much taller man, I couldn’t help but notice the very faint, pink tint that had covered Harvey’s cheeks and how he hid his face from me, bashful as ever. 

It was so painfully obvious that Harvey secretly held romantic feelings for me, and everything about him always became so awkward whenever we were together. As sweet as it was though, I was powerless to return the affection. Harvey was the candidate running against Hill for the position of mayor this year, and considering that Hill was counting on my family for support, that already made it hard enough to spend time with Harvey. Not to mention starting something intimate between us. 

“You don’t need to stay out here with me, Harv,” I said. “I totally get it if you don’t wanna stand in the freezing, cold rain in some random alleyway. Hell, I don’t even know why I came out here.”

“You don’t need to worry about me,” he insisted. “I, um--I enjoy...spending time with you. A little rain isn’t going to scare me off.” A nervous laugh. “And besides, this isn’t just any ordinary alleyway. It’s...well...you know. I...just figured you might need a friend. If you don’t though, just say so, and I’ll be gone.”

I let out a stressful breath, adjusting my stance a bit. “No, it’s fine. I just...I can’t help thinking about why my mother really died.”

“What do you mean?”

I double-checked both entrances to the alleyway, lowering my voice as I leaned in to whisper something. “I trust you, Harvey, so I’ll tell you--but this stays between us. Okay?”

He gave me a firm nod. “I understand.”

“Thanks, Harv. Now, listen. Before my mother was killed, she told the murderer, ‘tell Hill he’s making a mistake,’ and she also seemed to recognize the culprit. I still don’t know what that means to this day, but it’s enough to tell me that Hill was involved in her murder somehow.”

A look of shock covered his face. “Bruce, that’s--that’s horrible. Have you told anyone else about this?”

“Besides the GCPD and my own father--both of which didn’t believe me, by the way--no. To be honest, I’m starting to get the feeling that they know the truth--they just aren’t willing to spill it. But that doesn’t matter. I know Hill’s hiding something, and I’m going to find out why my mother died, with or without their help. It’s the least I can do for her, after everything she did for me.”

“I’ll assist you as much as I can, Bruce, but for the moment, I’m afraid it won’t be a lot. With that big debate against Hill coming up soon, the press would be up both our asses if someone found out we were trying to get dirt on him.”

“Yeah, about that,” I frowned. “I’m sorry I can’t support you, Harv. I really wish I could fund you somehow, but my father’s got eyes and ears everywhere.”

“Well, even if I can’t earn your financial support, it’s still good to know whom your actual support really lies with. I’ll do my best not to let you down.”

“You’ll do great, Harv,” I encouraged him. “You were born for this.” He gave me a shy, but thankful smile.

Just then, my phone vibrated. Quickly slipping it out of my pocket, I glanced at the text message.

Alfred: Bruce, a rather peculiar letter just arrived in the mail for you. Normally, I would wait until you returned home to show it to you, but I thought you might want to hear about this one as soon as possible.

“Sorry,” I apologized to Harvey, “it’s Al. Mind if I take care of this?”

He shook his head. “Go right ahead.”

“Thanks.” I typed back a reply.

Bruce: What’s it say?

Alfred: Not much, actually. It’s quite simple, really. Just a small, blank card. It reads, “Meet me at the Park. 6 AM. Tomorrow! -Oz”

I froze. 

Oz?

Bruce: Wait, Oz as in Oswald Cobblepot?

Alfred: That’s what I was thinking as well. It seems as if your old friend has finally returned to Gotham. What do you think? Is it legitimate?

Bruce: Hard to say. It’s been so long since we last talked, and the “6 AM” makes it even more suspicious. Oz would never get up that early.

Alfred: A fair point. Though, it’s possible he might make an exception to see a familiar face.

Bruce: I guess so. Oh, well. We can talk about this later. I’ll be home in a minute.

Alfred: Very well, sir. I shall see you then.

I put the phone away, receiving a curious look from Harvey. “Everything all right?” He asked, noticing my concern.

“...I think so,” I replied uncertainly. “I don’t know. It seems like nothing, but I guess I’ll find out soon enough. Anyways, I gotta get going. Thanks for sticking around, Harv.”

He was blushing again. “Of course, Bruce. Anytime. Stay safe out there.”

I began walking away from the comfort of the umbrella, stepping back out into the thick rainfall as I waved a casual goodbye to the District Attorney. “You too. If only that were possible in Gotham.”

WAYNE MANOR

I returned back home after a short walk, instantly speeding for my bedroom for a change of comfier, dryer clothes, and possibly even a quick nap. Along the way, I spotted Alfred occupied in the kitchen, washing the dishes from a breakfast that I missed, and judging by the extra cars sitting outside, both Hill and Falcone were also here right now. I silently groaned. If I was lucky, I’d be able to avoid both of them.

Climbing up the grand staircase, I turned a corner as soon as I reached the top and passed right by my father’s office, stopping in my tracks when I overheard a portion of their suspicious conversation. Normally, I wouldn’t have considered eavesdropping, but something just reeled me in like a fish on a hook. I stealthily crept closer to the locked door, trying to hear more.

“--I’m not afraid of Penguin,” Hill said in a defending tone. “Common criminals like him are quite easy to outsmart. I’m just playing along with his plan, is all.” 

Penguin? What the hell was he talking about?

“Oh, is that why you fed him information on my family?” My father fired back, “We’re supposed to be working together, in case you forgot.” Falcone joined in.

“Relax, Tommy. We’ll be fine. Penguin’s weak. Don’t get me wrong, that doesn’t make what Ham here did any less stupid, but he’s still just a lone thug. Nothing big or extravagant like the other crime-bosses in Gotham. We can handle him.”

My father wasn’t convinced. “It only took a ‘lone thug’ to murder my wife. Who’s to say that this ‘Penguin’ fellow won’t come after my son too?”

“Why would he?” Hill added. “Bruce doesn’t know anything. He’s clueless about all...this. He’d be useless to Penguin.”

“That...is true, I suppose.”

Part of me regretted listening in on their conversation. What on Earth were they talking about? And who was the Penguin? What wasn’t my father telling me? Well, at least now I could be certain that Hill was hiding something from me, just as I suspected. But so was Falcone and even my own father. 

I heard their chairs shuffling as their footsteps approached the door. Springing into flight mode, I instantly bolted away from the office, trying to make myself scarce before they could even twist the doorknob.

Originally, I had planned to discuss the mysterious letter that Alfred mentioned earlier with my father, and ask him what his thoughts were on it, but now I wasn’t even sure if I could trust him. I was just going to have to find the pieces to this puzzle by myself, whether he liked it or not. After all, if this really was Oz asking me to meet him, then he would have all the answers about Hill that I needed...and I could finally learn the truth.

#cobblebats #batman telltale #bruce wayne #oswald cobblepot #harvey dent #fanfic #story

[quotespicture]

https://quoteswithpicture.com/best-quotes-from-the-dark-knight-trilogy-why-so-serious/

Best Quotes from The Dark Knight Trilogy – ‘Why so serious?’

  Here is our list of the best quotes from Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Trilogy, which are ranked as some of the greatest superhero movies made.

  1. Batman Begins (2005)

Nolan’s birth of Batman, in an origin story where we follow Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) traveling to the Far East, to train in the martial arts by Ra’s al Ghul (Liam Neeson), a member of the mysterious League of Shadows. When Ghul reveals the League’s true purpose, the complete destruction of Gotham City, Wayne returns to Gotham intent on cleaning up the city without resorting to murder. With the help of his loyal butler, Alfred (Michael Caine), and Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman), a tech expert at Wayne Enterprises, Batman is born.

‘Your anger gives you great power. But if you let it, it will destroy you.’ – Ra’s al Ghul (Batman Begins) Click To Tweet

  [Bruce looks defeated as Wayne Manor is burning down] Bruce Wayne: I wanted to save Gotham. I failed. Alfred Pennyworth: Why do we fall sir? So that we can learn to pick ourselves up. Bruce Wayne: You still haven’t given up on me? Alfred Pennyworth: Never.

  Bruce Wayne: People need dramatic examples to shake them out of apathy and I can’t do that as Bruce Wayne. As a man, I’m flesh and blood, I can be ignored, I can be destroyed; but as a symbol, as a symbol I can be incorruptible, I can be everlasting.

  Rachel Dawes: Wait! You could die. At least tell me your name. [Bruce pauses for a moment] Bruce Wayne: It’s not who I am underneath but what I do that defines me. Rachel Dawes: Bruce?

  Rachel Dawes: [to Bruce] Deep down you may still be that same great kid you used to be. But it’s not who you are underneath, it’s what you do that defines you.

  Rachel Dawes: You’re not talking about justice. You’re talking about revenge. Bruce Wayne: Sometimes they’re the same. Rachel Dawes: No, they’re never the same, Bruce. Justice is about harmony. Revenge is about you making yourself feel better. It’s why we have an impartial system.

  Carmine Falcone: [to Bruce] This is a world you’ll never understand. And you always fear what you don’t understand.

  Ra’s al Ghul: What are you seeking? Bruce Wayne: I seek the means to fight injustice. To turn fear against those who prey on the fearful. Ra’s al Ghul: To manipulate the fears in others you must first master your own. Are you ready to begin? Bruce Wayne: I can barely stand. Ra’s al Ghul: Death does not wait for you to be ready! Death is not considerate or fair! And make no mistake, here you face death.

  Alfred Pennyworth: Strange injuries a non-existent social life, these things beg the question as to what exactly does Bruce Wayne do with his time and his money. Bruce Wayne: And what does someone like me do? Alfred Pennyworth: Drive sports cars, date movie stars, buy things that are not for sale, who knows, Master Wayne, you start pretending to have fun, you might even have a little by accident.

  [trying to lift a burning roof beam off of Bruce] Alfred Pennyworth: What is the point of all those push-ups if you can’t even lift a bloody log!

  Earle: Bruce? You’re supposed to be dead. Bruce Wayne: Sorry to disappoint.

  [as Batman is about leave] Jim Gordon: I never said thank you. Batman: And you’ll never have to.

  1. The Dark Knight (2008)

Nolan’s sequel, which is now widely considered to be one of the best sequels ever made. The story follows Batman/Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) in his continuing war on crime. With the help of allies Lt. Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) and DA Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), Batman has been able to keep a tight lid on crime in Gotham City. But when a menace knows as the Joker (Heath Ledger) emerges, he starts to wreak havoc and chaos on the people of Gotham. Batman must accept one of the greatest psychological and physical tests of his ability to fight injustice and begins to tread a fine line between heroism and vigilantism.

‘If you’re good at something, never do it for free.’ – The Joker (The Dark Knight) Click To Tweet

  The Joker: I believe whatever doesn’t kill you, simply makes you stranger.

  Alfred Pennyworth: A long time ago, I was in Burma, my friends and I were working for the local government. They were trying to buy the loyalty of the tribal leaders by bribing them with precious stones. But their caravans were being raided in a forest north of Rangoon by a bandit. So we went looking for the stones. But in six months, we never met anyone who traded with him. One day I saw a child playing with a ruby the size of a tangerine. The bandit had been throwing them away. Bruce Wayne: So why steal them? Alfred Pennyworth: Because he thought it was good sport. Because some men aren’t looking for anything logical, like money. They can’t be bought, bullied, reasoned or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn.

  The Joker: want to know how I got these scars? My father was a drinker. And a fiend. And one night he goes off crazier than usual. Mommy gets the kitchen knife to defend herself. He doesn’t like that. Not one bit. So, me watching, he takes the knife to her, laughing while he does it! He turns to me, and he says, “Why so serious, son?” Comes at me with the knife, “Why so serious?” He sticks the blade in my mouth, “Let’s put a smile on that face!” And, why so serious?

  Bruce Wayne: Let her go! [Joker dangles Rachel out of a window] The Joker: Very poor choice of words… [then let’s Rachel drop]

  Bruce Wayne: Then why do you want to kill me? The Joker: [laughs] I don’t, I don’t want to kill you! What would I do without you? Go back to ripping off mob dealers? No, no, no! No. You, you complete me.

  Bruce Wayne: You’re garbage who kills for money. The Joker: Don’t talk like one of them. You’re not! Even if you’d like to be. To them, you’re just a freak, like me! They need you right now, but when they don’t, they’ll cast you out, like a leper! You see, their morals, their code, it’s a bad joke. Dropped at the first sign of trouble. They’re only as good as the world allows them to be. I’ll show you. When the chips are down, these, uh, these civilized people, they’ll eat each other. See, I’m not a monster. I’m just ahead of the curve.

  The Joker: [to Det. Stephens] Do you want to know why I use a knife? Guns are too quick. You can’t savor all the little emotions. In, you see, in their last moments, people show you who they really are.

  The Joker: [to Harvey Dent] You know, you know what I’ve noticed? Nobody panics when things go “according to plan”. Even if the plan is horrifying! If, tomorrow, I tell the press that, like, a gang banger will get shot, or a truckload of soldiers will be blown up, nobody panics, because it’s all “part of the plan.” But when I say that one little old mayor will die, well then everyone loses their minds!

  [Joker hands Dent a gun and points it at himself] The Joker: Introduce a little anarchy. Upset the established order, and everything becomes chaos. I’m an agent of chaos. Oh, and you know the thing about chaos? It’s fair!

  Bruce Wayne: What were you hoping to prove? That, deep down, everyone’s as ugly as you? You’re alone! The Joker: Can’t rely on anyone these days, you got to do to everything yourself. Don’t we!

  The Joker: [to Bruce] I took Gotham’s white knight and I brought him down to our level. It wasn’t hard. You see, madness, as you know, is like gravity. All it takes is a little push.

  Bruce Wayne: [voice over] Sometimes the truth isn’t good enough. Sometimes, people deserve more. Sometimes people deserve to have their faith rewarded.

  [referring to Batman] James Gordon Jr.: He didn’t do anything wrong. Lt. James Gordon: Because he’s the hero Gotham deserves, but not the one it needs right now. So we’ll hunt him because he can take it. Because he’s not our hero. He’s a silent guardian, a watchful protector, a dark knight.

  3. The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

Final installment in Nolan’s trilogy, where we see Bruce Wayne living as a recluse in Wayne Manor, seen only by the trusted Alfred. Gotham appears at peace, with organized crime dropping, however, the arrival of a cunning cat burglar, Selina (Anne Hathaway), and a merciless terrorist named Bane (Tom Hardy), forces Batman out of exile and into a battle he may not be able to win.

‘There are always people you care about. You just don’t realize how much until they’re gone.’ – Bruce Wayne (The Dark Knight Rises) Click To Tweet

  Blake: [to Bruce] To be angry. In your bones. I mean, they understand. Foster parents, everybody, understands, for a while. But then they want the angry little kid to do something he knows he can’t do. To move on. So after a while they stop understanding and they send the angry kid to a boys home. I figured it out too late. You got to learn to hide the anger, and practice smiling in the mirror. It’s like putting on a mask. So you showed up this one day in a cool car, pretty girl on your arm. We were so excited. Bruce Wayne, billionaire orphan! We used to make up stories about you, man. Legends. And you know, to the other kids that’s all it was, just stories. But, right when I saw you I knew who you really were.

  Bruce Wayne: You’re afraid that if I go back out there, I’ll fail. Alfred: No. I’m afraid that you want to.

  Alfred: [to Bruce] I am using the truth, Master Wayne. Maybe it’s time we all stopped trying to outsmart the truth and just let it have its day. I’m sorry!

  Bane: Speak of the devil and he shall appear.

  Bruce Wayne: Hope you didn’t like me for my money. Miranda: Suffering builds character.

  Bruce Wayne: Why didn’t you just kill me? Bane: You don’t fear death, you welcome it. Your punishment must be more severe. Bruce Wayne: You’re a torturer. Bane: Yes. But not of your body. Of your soul.

  Blind Prisoner: Fear is why you fail. Bruce Wayne: No, I’m not afraid. I’m angry.

  Bruce Wayne: If you’re working alone, wear a mask. Blake: I’m not afraid to be seen standing up to these guys. Bruce Wayne: The mask is not for you. It’s to protect the people you care about.

  Bruce Wayne: A hero can be anyone. Even a man doing something as simple and reassuring as putting a coat around a young boy’s shoulders, to let him know the world hadn’t ended.

#movie quotes

[riddlez213]

As I write this it is the end of summer and while I have had a little break and have had some fun I knew my coming back was inevitable because while I love what I do on this blog and what I do outside of it with the same skill set I thought it would be a great idea to do something different. I’m going to find out the backstory of Heath Ledger’s Joker. I am a huge comicbook fan and I love Batman for not only his amazing detective skills not put forth in many works but also his rogues gallery and every character’s amazing psyche. And then there is the best comicbook movie of all time “The Dark Knight” and it goes astray from the source material with a perfect and in some way better interpretation of the Joker played by Heath Ledger. But as the original Joker is this one also has a lack of backstory even more so that the original and for the 10 years after its release people have theorized and theorized without much skill into case work and they’ve gotten pretty far but today I put forth my theory or theories depending on how you look at it and with actual evidence that is solid and a little bit of assumption but not nearly as much as some theories on this go. In the movie he kills 28 to 35 people so definitely on the mass murder scale but also displays signs of something far sinister with his preference of knives making him seem more like a serial killer. His ratio of actual intelligence and social manipulativeness and also other display signs of antisocial personality disorder puts him on the definite psychopath side but some aspects such as sexual promiscuity and superficial charm are not present and also his teenage and marriage history isn’t known but I would assume that he would have had trouble as a teenager especially if he was indeed abused in his childhood. so this doesn’t actually put him at the top of the psychopath spectrum but it is worse because he doesn’t care about anyone from his nihilist point of view including himself. He sees himself as a vessel that chaos can come from or be a part of. This means he doesn’t care about hygiene or his looks in the traditional sense. He very much does care about his looks but he doesn’t want to be seen as attractive he wants to be seen as crazy or a freak because he doesn’t believe himself to be and wants to show people how they are the same as him but also in doing that they would realize they are extremely crazy just like him. So technically speaking he isn’t completely psychopathic just like he tries to make sure he is undiagnosable to not only show that every system is a list of flaws but also that he is unpredictable and represents uncertainty. Many comic book characters follow a similar path such as the punisher, batman, and I’m sure many others. Regardless he would definitely be leveled as legally insane but possibly not in our world but I’ll get to that in a moment. Legally insane means that you were not aware of your actions in the event of a crime and is a very slim amount of courthouse cases that it is even discussed in. Especially since on the outside it is hard to not identify him as crazy but instead is extremely intelligent and an amazing specimen of research if it is even possible. In the DC universe these terms seem to be tossed around more and it is probably because there are a lot more criminals out there than in this world and also that they have more faith in their treatment because of Arkham Asylum’s large amount of support financially and in terms of workers. In this world he is obviously not insane because although he is aware of his actions he doesn’t really know right from wrong because of his hatred for all people but in a way he does still know right and wrong and this is obviously not a case of him not aware of his own actions because he isn’t say a schizophrenic. From how “The Dark Knight Rises” was suppose to go before the death of Heath Ledger the Joker was definitely going to bust out of Arkham and face batman again and even if he was put in a mental hospital the first time around in this world the second time he wouldn’t be so lucky because if they keep putting him in an asylum and he keeps breaking out we would just execute his ass and batman wouldn’t even have to worry about breaking his one rule. This would especially be showing how intelligent he is in order to escape and he could possibly escape from Blackgate prison or one of our real world prisons I don’t know. Another aspect I think might be apparent in this joker is his “hypersanity” which in the comics is joker’s ability to realize he’s in a comicbook which could be true. He could realize he’s in a movie or comicbook as well because if there are infinite parallel universes like theoretical physics suggests then there is a parallel universe where he is in a comicbook or a movie and this is the one where he is in a movie. In fact there is a universe where you are in a comicbook or where we are all in a comicbook and to him it makes everything a joke and if we all thought like that all the time we would be in the same purple shoes he is. Alright enough on the criminal profile I think it’s time for some actual possible origins. The first thing I looked at were the scars. They are hypertrophic scars and his scars are actually called a glasgow smile that was actually in the Black Dahlia case and a few other famous ones. It is usually followed with a stabbing or kick to the stomach so when the victim screams they rip the “smile” open so if we saw him shirtless and saw that it would be a definite 99% proof he did not do this to himself. but instead I will have to go with 98%. Here are pictures of the scars

The red circles indicate the tearing of the actual cuts themselves. The black is just a cut below the mouth that seems accidental. And overall both sides of the smile are not even. This seems to have been done by a different person or people because if he did this himself he would have obviously used a mirror and wouldn’t make these mistakes if he would have taken his time. These type of scars take 3 years to heal. This means he had at least 3 years before he went to go create chaos in Gotham. We know that the Joker had only been active from the end of batman begins into the dark knight because at the end of batman begins Gordon shows Batman a Joker card explaining who he is briefly. So this means he had his scars before he even considered himself the Joker. As Gordon shows Batman the card he explains how Batman could make way for villains with a taste for the theatrical like him which is a perfect segue into saying that Joker probably saw what scarecrow and Batman did in Batman Begins and in seeing there are other “freaks” out there became one himself and it is deeply embedded in the comics that there can be no batman without joker and vice versa. But how does Batman use all his detective skills (although most of the tech he used was incorrect in terms of forensics) and still not be able to identify the Joker? Well everything about him had been deleted without a trace. But how does someone achieve this in the real world? Well in a missing persons case or some other crime someone is obviously missing and after 7 to 8 years they are considered legally dead but even if you are legally dead you were still once a person and therefore still have records. The most likely of something like this to happen would come from the government or even the military because they are the system and they do it all the time. That brings me to the theory itself. I believe that the Joker was indeed a soldier overseas but instead was tortured by his fellow soldiers for probably doing something they didn’t agree with probably brought about through something he did morally whether it be not allowing something illegal to happen or killing an innocent person on purpose. either way he is tortured and given his scars and left for dead and erased from ever existing. He survives and makes his way back to society whether he ran from home to Gotham or lived there originally. He then becomes homeless living on the streets until discovering someone he relates to: Batman. He then finds his way through the ranks of the criminal underworld messing with the rest of the mob and eventually making the bank heist we see in the beginning of The Dark Knight. This is why in the beginning of the movie we see all the crime bosses discuss who stole their money and Salvatore Maroni states “Stupid whack job, wears a cheap purple suit and makeup. He’s not the problem.” And we even see this cheap purple suit in the beginning where the threading is even coming undone because of its age in the bank heist. You can even tell how different the makeup looks when he is in the bank heist to when he is talking to the crime bosses with his famous pencil trick. Also in the interrogation scene he states “what would I do without you go back to ripping off mob dealers?” implying that he had done it multiple times in the past. This even explains why he says to two face he only did everything with some gas and a couple of bullets because in his mind that’s what it felt like to him and it persuades the audience and two face because overall it didn’t seem like a lot of actual traditional power even though we see a rocket launcher and 28 to 35 dead. This would add even more to the idea he suffers PTSD making it extremely possible he doesn’t even remember where he came from like he is in the comics. And PTSD can effects the hippocampus creating short term and long term memory loss. He even states he is like a dog chasing cars and that he wouldn’t know what to do if he caught one. But something else that I found very interesting is that he definitely knows who Batman is because also in the interrogation scene he says to Batman “You know for a while there I thought you really were Dent. The way you threw yourself after her.” and “Does Harvey know about you and his little…” and finally “choose between one wife or the other. Your friend district attorney or his blushing bride to be.” The reason he knows torture methods is probably because he did it while he was in war because he tells batman not to start with the head when batman bangs his head against the table. In fact him wanting to be a clown or freak possibly comes from how he may have been viewed in war with his fellow soldiers. He could have even been, in a way, similar to or the same as the comedian in The Watchmen comics since they both share the same ideology. This means since his second explanation of his scars was false then the other one is probably false too. But he still mentions how he hated his father when even not talking about his scars and it seems likely a psychopath like him came from that kind of background because most psychopaths come from that. When he states that even when a truck load of soldiers is blown up it’s all part of the plan that is probably because he witnessed it happen but he would have looked a lot different if that happened to him. In the dark knight manual it states the GCPD think he could have been an Arkham escapee and a victim or Dr. Krane (Scarecrow). This is possible but I don’t think Joker is very afraid of everything and Arkham wouldn’t really have the ability to erase records from existence and in fact they would probably have copies of all of it. So what do you think? Do I seem correct or just as crazy as Joker himself? What would you like me to investigate next? I say this was definitely a fun thing to work on.

  -Riddlez

File 19: The Joker Files As I write this it is the end of summer and while I have had a little break and have had some fun I knew my coming back was inevitable because while I love what I do on this blog and what I do outside of it with the same skill set I thought it would be a great idea to do something different.