* J *

Part Twenty: Chapter 146: Pink Lightning

The Joker's last night in town was spent at the Iceberg Lounge. He was without a disguise this night, and dressed in his normal attire. There he met with Poison Ivy who had managed to get him the fertility drugs he was after. With Penguin's help, some things he needed from his penthouse were retrieved. So he spent the rest of his evening drinking Penguin's scotch and snorting a fresh batch of his cocaine...

Joker's POV

Twisted wasn't exactly a clear enough description of my condition. I had drank enough scotch to see quadruple slip back into itself in threes. The cocaine in my system kept me standing and seemingly alert. But truth be told, I was anialated. If any real form of thought was required, I was completely screwed. At least I didn't have a damn headache.

A man in my condition only wants one of two things, to fuck or fight. And I didn't exactly wish to fight. Penguin would have supplied all the women my filthy desires could have needed. One for each fetish under the sun if I so wished. But it wasn't what I wanted. Wasn't who I wanted. Tonight my tastes were of a singular nature, and that nature didn't come with tits.

I turn to Penguin with wide pupils, "It's time for me to make my leave my friend."

"You sure J? You're not in much condition to be out there on your own and with no disguise," he tells me with equally large pupils.

"I appreciate your concern, but there is one last thing I must do before I leave Gotham," I tell him.

"And I don't suppose there's any way that I'll be able to talk you out of it?" He asks.

I smile, "Highly unlikely."

"Do you need this?" He asks holding up a vial of cocaine.

My smile widens and I take it, "Forever in your debt Oswald," I nod and shove it into my pocket.

I leave and get behind the wheel. Kiddies, don't try this at home, I'm a professional. I squint one eye as I try focusing on the road in front of me. The rain coming down does absolutely nothing for safely trying to navigate a car. But my sheer will is greater than the common sense to go pass out somewhere. I was on a mission. I had one thing on my mind and nothing was going to take it away except getting what I wanted. No. Scratch that. Getting what I needed.

I parked in nearby woods that were probably a ten minute walk from my destination. I pull the coke from my pocket and pour a far rail along the dash. Without it I would succumb to the alcohol in my bloodstream. I snort it back and choke it down. I shove open the door and exit the vehicle, leaving it abandoned. The rain is pouring and I left the stupid umbrella back at the motel. I'm saturated just a few feet away from the car. But I didn't care. The rain wasn't going to stop me.

Lightning illuminated the sky in a big streak of pink, serving as the lighthouse to guide my way. The big impending mansion had never looked more like a cryptic mausoleum than it did under that pink light. The thunder rumbled under my feet and shook the ground like an earthquake. In the throws of my inebriation I couldn't think about all the metal on my person, essentially turning me into a lightning rod.

I reached the mansion and start to scale the lattice work that lead up to the balcony off the master bedroom. It wasn't the room I needed, but I knew it was vacant and no one would be awakened by me. It was a tricky climb in the dark, much less during a thunderstorm. I kept getting thorns in my hands from the crawling carnation roses that grew up the lattice. I pulled myself up over the large marble railing and over to the sliding glass door. For a moment I think it might be a problem and that I would have to walk the ledge to the right room. But when I pulled on the door it slid right open. I couldn't help but laugh at the lack of security. It had always marvled me.