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Gotham city, on the outside it’s a city of lights and luxury, on the inside it’s a city of darkness and poverty. So why in the hell am I transferring here? Well long story short I pissed off a lot of cops back where I originally was. Not saying that’s a bad thing the whole precinct was full of corrupt cops looking for money more than justice. So when I was offered to transfer to Gotham I accepted with little hesitation from my wife since she just got used to the place we were at but she knew it would be over sooner or later. Today’s my first day in the precinct not expecting much. I heard Gotham was full of rats and well, even a bat.
Walking in I could smell the musty water from the ceiling leaking into the air, the cigar smoke that choked your lungs until you said uncle, I don’t mind that much as a smoker myself I’m not bothered by it. But the worst smell of all was greed, sounds crazy but greed has a smell, it’s either expensive whiskey that burns your tongue changing your taste buds, or its the smell of metal coming from people’s necks, golden necklaces bought with what? Bribe money? Stolen evidence? What a shit show.
“Well what are you gonna do just let the cold air in all day?” Harvey bullock bellows from behind a desk.
“Sorry, I'm just trying to get used to that smell.” I said walking in to find my desk.
“Ah you’ll get used to it we’ve been meanin’ to get someone here to fix it but we ain’t really got the budget to do that crap so we just ignore it like a bad ex girlfriend.” Harvey said with a half smile as he extended his arm and introduced himself
“Names Harvey but call me Bullock since we got a more popular Harvey ‘round here.”
“I know you, The transfer paperwork said I'd be assigned to be your partner so I did some reading. My name's Jim Gordon, call me Jim.” I said sitting at the desk across from him when I noticed Harvey’s face he was confused but then it faded to a grin.
“I can’t tell if you’re excited to be here or this is your first day as a detective.” Harvey said with a chuckle.
“No this is my fifth year, just trying to not make a bad impression on the first day being here.” I said opening up the file on my desk to see what my first case was.
“Well since you got here so close to halloween the freaks have come out to terrorize the street and apparently one real psychopath has a fetish for leaving playing cards.” Harvey said pointing to the photo of a card in the file.
“We got a name for this guy?” I asked, knowing the answer.
“Yeah the guys are calling him The Joker.” Harvey said grimly.
“I see well when do you wanna go looking for him?” I asked while staring at the case file looking for anything I could use.
“We’ll go out tonight. He seems to do his insanity while under the moon.” Harvey said, picking up his hat and motioning for me to follow.
“Where are we going now?” I asked unsure if I should follow.
“Me and you are gonna go look around and see if we can put some low lifes away.” Harvey said as he got into his car. This wasn’t your typical cop car, no this was a 1972 monte carlo and when Harvey clicked the key it came to life with a roar and heat.
“Ha ha can’t get much better than this!” Harvey said, pulling out of his spot. Soon we had already stopped a mugging, caught a drug pusher and arrested a guy spraying people with condiments.
“Not bad Jim, not bad at all!” Harvey said, clapping my shoulder.
“Not my first time doing stuff like this.” I said walking back to the car.
“Heh yeah I noticed, you still ready to go find that Joker?” Harvey said, reaching for his door.
“Yeah I think I've relaxed enough to take on a psycho like him.” I said with a slight grin.
“Ain’t really a smiling matter Jim.” Harvey said as the CB radio went off requesting us to hurry over to the local Zonkos joke shop where it was reported of a woman screaming profusely.
“That’s him, let's go now!” Harvey said rushing to start the car as I slid into the seat when suddenly I was lunged into the rear of my seat by Harvey stepping on the gas.
“Sorry Jim but we have to get there quickly so we can get this sunnava bitch!” Harvey said with grit and anger.
Soon we arrived at the location Harvey went around the side to see if there was any sign of anyone injured or dead, that left me to go inside into what could be a normal shop/warehouse or nightmares that have left the mind and started to become reality. As soon as I walked in I smelt it, Burning flesh it was the worst smell imaginable it took all my strength to not puke my guts up but i moved on. As I walked deeper into the store the stench grew worse until I saw it. The body was on fire but not the torso or legs, the head the insides carved out like a pumpkin, the mouth was cut wider to make a grin, their eyes replaced with coal that's slowly burning the inside of the skull was ablaze. I wanted to drop to my knees and my stomach gave out so I did drop and that’s when I heard the laugh. It was a light chuckle at first then it grew twisted and broken.
“I see you’ve met my handy work! I must say it’s not my best but it sure does like to smile!” The Joker said from above not revealing himself to me but only his voice.
“You’re…sick!” I tried to yell but my stomach just wouldn’t let me be loud.
“I’d say you're the sick one but if we ignore your lunch on the ground I guess you're right” The Joker said, mocking me.
“Why..did…my god what's wrong with you?” I asked, still trying to regain my strength.
“What’s wrong with me? Well I just had one bad day and now I'm like this! So tell me detective Gordon what’s your breaking point?” The Joker said before he started cackling and then dumped the brain of the victim on me, the blood and mashed up brain parts soaked into my jacket and hair. I started to panic as the laughter started to fade, we couldn’t lose him but it was too late. When Harvey found me and the victim he almost gave up his lunch too.
“Jesus fucking christ that psycho…how the hell are you still standing?” Harvey said, looking me up and down.
“I don’t know how, I don't care how, all I do care about is finding him and bringing him in by the law.” I said walking past Harvey and out into the open where Gotham was only just starting to become alive, even at midnight when it’s downpouring you can see shapes this shape was sharp it had wings almost like a bat.
After two weeks of no Joker sightings it almost seemed like he left, oh how I wish he left. It all started October 28th Harvey and I were called out the docks for what the person who called it in said was “The inside of a nightmare.” With those words alone we knew who it was and it didn’t take long for us to find his little calling card, those damn joker cards. The scene alone was worse than a nightmare. The victim was torn apart, anything that could have been torn was moved to make a smiley face, that damn smile. The 29th and the 30th were both quiet too quiet. I don’t know what possessed me to do this but I went back to Zonkos, something wasn’t right we missed something we had to or else we wouldn’t have gotten out of there so quickly.
“What could still be here?” I asked the empty room knowing I wouldn’t get a response. But I kept searching thinking I'd find something, time flew by, soon it was five in the morning halloween day. But he found it, a little clue.
“A ticket to the Gotham Theater for Halloween. How fitting.” I said tucking the ticket into my pocket. The time said ten tonight I guess he knew I wouldn’t be done with him. I got into the precinct early. I was diving into the abundance of case files we had on the Joker. I must have been so focused that I didn’t even hear Harvey saying my name until he slugged me in the arm.
“Jesus Jim, you were scaring me.” Harvey said in an annoyed tone
“Sorry I'm just so close to getting him that I lost myself in the work.” I said yawing.
“How long have you been awake?” Harvey asked.
“I didn’t sleep because I went looking for something at Zonkos,” I said, reaching into my pocket and ignoring Harvey’s complaints.
“The hell is that?” Harvey asked, looking at the ticket.
“Ticket to see Halloween at the Gotham theater at ten tonight.” I said putting it back into my pocket.
“So I guess you're going?” Harvey said, finally sitting down in his spot.
“If we want him locked up then yes I'm going.” I said getting up to get some coffee.
“The boss doesn’t want him arrested and thinks he should be killed as soon as we get a chance.” Harvey said, looking at a file on his desk.
“I will not kill the Joker.” I said defiantly.
“I wasn’t saying you were and I wouldn’t either but I don’t think he’d survive long if we brought him here.” Harvey said, pointing to the jail cells down the hall.
“Maybe there’s somewhere better?” I said under my breath. Soon it was nine thirty rain had started to flood the streets since the sewer drains were clogged full of trash but the wind was what would kill you, felt like ice icicles stabbing you with every gust. Harvey and I soon arrived at the theater around nine forty five early enough to hopefully catch the Joker before he killed anyone else.
“Jeez this place can’t get anymore creepy.” Harvey said, looking around the dark theater.
“Yeah but that’s all the more sign that he’s here.” I said taking my gun out and mowing forward to investigate. Time flew by quickly as it was now ten and the movie was starting.
“When do you think he’s gonna show his ugly mug?” Harvey said, still anticipating him.
“When people get comfortable.” I said looking at how many people showed up. Almost a hundred people in one run down theater? Something wasn’t right and it soon showed. The screen changed and the Jokers' faces appeared.
“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your warm welcome to my circus! It’s been tough to get an audience but almost a hundred of you? Now that's killing right there!” The Joker said with a smile so twisted and large it was unsettling to look at.
“Now as most of you are aware I'm that psycho killer on the loose that the GCPD has failed to capture since the beginning of the month. So it’s no surprise that two of their detectives have shown up to try and stop me!” The Joker said, turning his head to look at me and Harvey.
“Hello Bullock!” He said with an eerily friendly voice “And hello Gordon." He said with sadistic intent.
“Jesus, he knows we’re here!?” Harvey questioned.
“We were invited.” I said not taking my eyes off the screen.
“So detectives, here's your choice! You can save all these people who have explosives under their chairs! Or you can run after me and leave them to die.” The Joker said with a small laugh at the end. It didn’t take a scientist to figure out our decision. We both ran to help the people evacuate the theatre as quickly as we could.
“Well that’s no fun!” The Joker said in a fake pouty voice.
“This isn’t a game!” I yelled.
“Well then let’s make it one!” The Joker screamed then pressed a button that set one of the explosives off sending someone flying and setting someone else ablaze. The Joker laughed like a goblin who just stole some gold.
“We gotta get to him!” I yelled to Harvey.
“You go, I'll get these people out!” He yelled back. I didn’t waste a single second running towards the Joker's laughter.
“Oh Gordon!” The Joker called “You shouldn’t have done that!” As he spoke two more explosions went off the screaming was deafening and the carnage was sickening. Limbs hanging from the rafters heads that were half burnt and half gone rolling on the ground with faces of shock frozen onto them.
“Enough leave them be just take me!” I yelled in hope he would take my offer.
“Kill more worthless people or kill one thorn in my pale side? Oh what the heck! Come up here Gordon, let's talk!” The Joker said happily.
I walked slowly up to where the Joker was. The smell was horrible, it was like a mix of rotten fish with a twist of gasoline.I was beginning to feel woozy but I trudged forward determined to get him. This needs to end all of it. The death toll is one too many and its finale is here. Walking into the room it was a living nightmare, three women dressed like nineteen fifties era waitresses were walking around like they were drunk, their faces white the only color was their bright red lips that formed wide demonic smiles, they tried to speak but all that came out was laughs. There was an older man with the same features as the woman but the man was laughing louder and looked to be having a seizure.
“Well Gordon you finally made it!” The Joker exclaimed. The elderly man got up, seemingly his seizure ended.
“Oh you're up? Well I didn’t plan on keeping you so..” The Joker said before pulling out a revolver and shooting the mad point blank in the head.
“Well that was fun, who's for some popcorn? Ladies? Gordon? I know you’d kill for something to ease that stomach of yours.” The Joker said with a smile.
“End this, let the girls go and let me and you finish this.” I said holding down anything that may want to visit me.
“Oh a fighter well c’mon then put up your dukes Gordon!” The Joker said with a mad laugh. And in a blur we were brawling punch after punch. I felt maybe five to my face and connected to him maybe three times but we were dead even.
“This isn’t going anywhere so why not spice it up!” The Joker said, sliding a knife from his sleeve. I didn’t have time to react. His slash caught me off guard. My leg was bleeding profusely. I had to do something. I crawled while he talked.
“Oh look at this, such a brave detective now lying on the floor waiting for the final blow.” He began as I kept looking for something you use to get the upper hand. “What drives you man! What can possibly make you want to catch me so badly!?” He questioned and when I didn’t respond he stabbed the back of my calf. “C’mon Gordon speak! What’s so important that you’re risking your life to catch me?” He continued. I tried to cough up an answer but it wasn’t what he wanted so he kicked my ribs which were already bruised and now probably broken. “You’re out of your league, old man. I know the GCPD in and out there’s no secrets safe with me. I suppose there’s loose ends that you have that I'll gladly tie up after I kill you! Hopefully young barbra has a sense of humor!” He ended his speech with a dark and twisted laugh. The horror in my mind was racing. I couldn't think of anything but saving my family from him. With little strength I had I lunged at him crashing into the table knocking over the detonator to the bombs onto the floor breaking it.
“Oh you’ve done it now Gordon!” The Joker said with the biggest smile yet.
“What did you do!?” I yelled
“In case that were to break I put a failsafe where all the bombs would go off! So the fun really begins now!” The Joker said with a laugh. I tried to get up trying with all I could to escape but another stab to my shoulder sent me down.
“Oh no Gordon you’re not leaving! You’re going to die here! You’re going to die hearing my laugh, your purgatory is going to be my heaven!” The Joker said, beginning to laugh as the explosives went off, the fire and the rumbles of the floor giving out filled the room quickly. I knew this was the end. I knew I had failed. But it wasn’t the end. There was a crash and the Joker and I were dragged out of the theater before it exploded. I looked to see who it was and I thought my eyes were messed up. I saw Batman . The thing I was told was a myth was real.
“Y-You’re real!” I said but he didn’t respond.
“No shit he’s real, great detective my ass.” The Joker said with a bewildered tone. As soon as we touched the ground I tried to thank him but he disappeared. I was helped onto a stretcher while the Joker was being taken away not before having the last word.
“See you around Gordon!" The Joker said as the door slammed shut as his laughter began.
“So Jim you uh see what I saw?” Harvey said questioningly.
“The Batman? Yeah I did.” I said tiredly.
“I didn’t mean that but yeah him too.” Harvey said.
“What else?” I questioned.
“They’re taking that bozo to Arkham. Word is they made that an asylum to help the crazies!” Harvey said with a laugh. I’m so tired of laughing.
“Well I guess that’s better than him being sent to die in our prison cells.” I said.
“Yeah i s’pose you're right. Well I'll let them take you to the hospital and can't keep letting the cold air in on you.” Harvey said, giving me a nod as the paramedics closed the door and took me to get a warm bed and some time to heal. I will never forget this night it will live in my mind forever as
The Cold Halloween.