The Joker's New Toy { Wattys 2016}

Coming Down

**

The Joker was in good spirits today, fortunately for his men. He had, had a little quickie that morning with Stacey, and it had put him in a good mood all day. Who knew that having female companionship around could be so...delightful?

Stanley was late to the meeting (again) but the Joker didn't even yell at him this time. Nor did he kick, punch or threaten to stab anyone after they had said something stupid, (and his followers did tend to say a lot of stupid things.) He merely corrected them like an understanding teacher, and then dismissed them to their household duties after the meeting was over.

His henchmen scrambled to all areas of the house as the Joker bounced his way up the stairs towards the top floor, where his henchmen usually weren't allowed. He liked the top floor to be his personal area, like a king's private quarters in his castle.

He found himself whistling as he made his way to his master bedroom on the east wing of the upper floor, only to find the door slightly cracked, a small beam of light creeping out and shining onto the hallway floor. The old and heavy wooden door made a squeaking noise as the Joker pushed it open. Inside the room little Ace immediately trotted over to his master, wagging his little tail and sniffing at the Joker's shoe. The small dim lamp on the nightstand by the bed was on, and the closet was open, a basket full of dirty clothes sitting on the floor beside it.

"Little bunny?" the Joker called, assuming that she was in the bathroom. But upon further inspection he found that she wasn't in there either. "Sweetness?" he called again, as he turned the light on in the bathroom. Ace was whimpering beside him and jumping up on his leg, his tiny frame barely reaching the Joker's knee. The Joker kneeled down and scratched the little pup behind the ear. "Now where did the little bunny toddle off to hmm?" he asked the pup. Wherever she was, she had clearly left the laundry in that room. Was she avoiding her chores?

*

"This is where daddy works sweetheart."

Jim Gordon's voice buzzed in Stacey's ear as a distant foggy memory flowed through her mind, the images coming to surface like a hazy water painting. She was in the police station again, as a younger Jim Gordon placed a cop hat on her head. She remembered how it felt as it slipped down over her eyes, the size of it being much too large for her small head. She could hear her father's fellow policemen laughing around her, admiring how cute their coworker's daughter was.

Another face of a man behind her father was coming into view, smiling and laughing along with the rest of the men in the room. Officer...Mertz? No...Wer...Wor...

Wuertz! Officer Wuertz! She remembered him standing in that room, looking much younger as well, grinning ear to ear.

"Ya got quite a looker there eh Gordon? Better be careful. Someday you're gonna have to beat all those boys off with a stick!" Said officer Wuertz, and Stacey remembered herself giggling and shying away as he winked at her.

But it was all coming back to her now. Another memory flashed in her head. Her father was promoted to lieutenant, and she vaguely recalled him talking to her mother about how he got the impression that Wuertz was bitter over him getting the promotion that he had wanted for so long.

Whatever did happen to Wuertz? Something happened to him right?

That didn't matter to her now. Her thoughts switched back to that one memory of Jim sitting her up on his desk at the police station and smiling down on her with fatherly pride. It was a good memory, and it made her feel warm inside. She could not recall feeling any fear or anxiety in his presence. But if her father had been so abusive to her, like the Joker had claimed, then why couldn't she recall feeling any hatred towards him?