Supremedalekdunn
The Malefactor Files: Harley Quinn #8
File #4
Six months after Joker had been admitted to the Asylum the GCPD happened upon his contingency plan. A bomb built into a newly constructed wall beneath the Gotham cathedral. Analysis of the wall found that there was no way to remove the bomb without dismantling the wall which would bring the whole cathedral down. Thus there was only one option. Disarm the bomb before it could detonate. Joker had left the bomb on a timer that had been counting down from over the last six months and was due to detonate the next day.
In order to disarm the bomb a code was needed. Checking the keypad for prints yielded nothing, evidently Joker had the pad wiped clean after he activated the timer. That means the only way to disarm the bomb is to get him to hand over the timer. Needless to say, after the events in the tunnel of love, Jim was keen to keep me as far away from Joker as possible. As such it fell to Warden Quincy Sharp to convince Joker to hand over the code. Given how Arkham is regarded as a psychiatric hospital the guards aren’t allowed to use unconventional interrogation techniques so warden Sharp appealing to Joker’s human decency didn’t go down well.
Attachment: Warden Office CCTV – September 22nd 14:30
”Quincy old boy how are things? Still balding I see.”
“Do you know why I’ve called you here?”
”You’re finally retiring?”
“The bomb.”
”What bomb? That record Cash made?”
“The one under Gotham cathedral.”
”Bombing a church? That sounds more like Riddler’s MO. You know how much he loves insulting religion.”
“We know it’s yours.”
”I resent that! I’m not the only clown in Gotham with a love of explosives. Why’s it got to be me?”
“Probably because you signed the scene.”
”Oh yeah haha.”
“Give us the code.”
”Or what Sharpy? You gonna give me a stern talking to? Make me feel bad about myself?”
“You know this is wrong Jack.”
”WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY!?”
Joker charges forward at the Warden’s desk in anger, stopped only by Cash managing to grab hold of him.
”WHAT DID YOU SAY?”
“Tell me the code Jack. No-one needs to get hurt.”
”If you want my help then you know who I’ll talk to!”
“What if he doesn’t want to talk to you?”
”Then boom! Hahahaha.”
“Take him back to his cell, and get me Gordon on the line.”
End of attachment.
Ever since we first crossed paths after he murdered Loeb, Joker’s always had a case of waring personalities between two personas. Jack Napier, a wannabe comedian and the Joker, a clown trying to make the world smile by causing misery to others. After we faced off against one another the Joker persona has slowly but surely begun to dominate Jack to the point where I’m not entirely sure if Jack’s in there anymore. That was cemented after that night in ACE Chemicals. Joker was trying to gather the components necessary to mass produce a new variant of the Joker toxin. Thanks to an analysis of the toxin I was able to piece together that the only place he could gather the compounds necessary on such a large scale was ACE Chemicals.
With that foreknowledge I had the GCPD set a trap for Joker and his men. It all went exactly as I had hoped. All of Joker’s men were arrested by the GCPD but Joker seemingly escaped. What Jim and I didn’t know was that Joker ended up falling into a vat of chemicals during the firefight. He wouldn’t be discovered until the ACE Chemicals workers emptied the vat the following morning. Many believe that’s the straw that broke the camel’s back.
Since then there’s been no reports of the Jack persona being exhibited by Joker. I fear it can be speculated that my hopes of purging the Joker persona from Jack ended up merely cementing his presence.
Alfred’s always speculated that Jason’s murder was Jack lashing out for what I did to him. Maybe he’s right, but I like to think otherwise. Perhaps that’s just me being desperate and hoping that deep down I didn’t end up killing Jack Napier. Either way, I now have to deal primarily with the Joker persona, and I had to deal with him in order to get the code to disarm the bomb under Gotham cathedral.
Attachment: Therapy Session Recording – Joker #2
“Therapy session 2. Patient’s name: J……”
There’s a long pause on the tape. Without a video feed it’s difficult to tell what’s making her hesitate but it’s implied that Joker was staring at her rather intensly.
”Joker. Acting physician, Doctor Harleen Quinzel. Date of session 22nd of September. Previous session was cut short so this session is designed to make up the remaining time from the previous session.”
”Cash can be so rude interrupting our one on one time like that.”
”From what I hear it was the Warden who cut out session short.”
”Word travels fast around here.”
”Well it’s not everyday a patient gets called up to the Warden’s office. You must have done something serious.”
”I just gave him some advice on how to stop his head from balding.”
”Warden Sharp is balding?”
”I think he’s considering wearing a wig.”
”Really?”
”Yeah the silly old fool.”
”So, Joker….”
”Yes Doctor?”
”Going back to our conversation. Why do you find yourself obsessed with the Batman?”
”Why do you find yourself obsessed with me?”
”I ask the questions here.”
”You’re hoping that if you can understand me that you will be able to understand him.”
”Perhaps.”
”Tell me, what’s the market at the moment for a book about the mind of the Batman?”
There’s a long pause. Evidently Dr. Quinzel was shocked that Joker knew she was just using him to write a book.
”Must be pretty good if you’re willing to talk to one of Gotham’s grade A crazies.”
”You think of yourself as crazy?”
”You don’t?”
”…”
”The world’s a funny old place Doctor. It’ll do all it can to break you. The only thing that separates us from the animals is how we let the world break us. Some give up. Some fight back. Some go mad.”
”Is that what happened to you? The world tried to break you?”
”Of course.”
”Which action did you take?”
”What do you think?”
”…”
”You think I went mad.”
”You don’t?”
”Oh goodness no. I know I went mad. But unlike most, I accept it.”
”Who do you know that doesn’t?”
”Who do you think?”
”The Batman?”
”I couldn’t possibly say.”
”You think he’s mad?”
”Nooooooo……..I don’t think a man dressing up as a bat is mad the same way I don’t think a man dressing as a clown is mad.”
”Of course.”
”I suppose….”
”Suppose…?”
”In many ways you’re right.”
”How so?”
”He and I are alike.”
”Why do you say that?”
”I know it. He’s yet to accept it, but deep down he knows it as well.”
”You think Batman knows he’s crazy?”
”Maybe. Or perhaps he’s crazier than me?”
”I’m not sure many people would agree on that.”
”Probably not. But I at least know I’m crazy. If anything he’s mad to think he’s sane.”
”Maybe he is. But why do you think you’re mad?”
”Probably thanks to dear old daddy.”
”The one who hit you?”
”Do you know another?”
”So you think he’s the one responsible for who made you into this?”
”Goodness no. Sure daddy dearest didn’t help the situation but he didn’t make me.”
”Then what did?” The Batman?”
”Nope. All it took to break was one simple thing. One bad day.”
”What happened on that day?”
”Life destroyed my world.”
”What happened?”
”I…I…..”
”You can tell J. You can trust me.”
”I saw my wife murdered in front of my eyes.”
”….I didn’t know you were married…”
”I prefer it that way.”
”When was she killed?”
”Five years ago.”
”Just before you killed Commissioner Loeb.”
”It was that long ago? It feels like it was yesterday.”
”You feel remorseful?”
”I always do.”
”Then why do you keep killing more people if you don’t want to?”
”How else am I supposed to drown out the voices?”
”Voices?”
”Their screams.”
”You hear their screams?”
”Everytime I close my eyes. Sniff I just want to make them stop.”
”Hey hey it’s alright. It’s going to be alright. I promise.”
“Time’s up Doc.”
”Alright. Thanks Cash.”
“Are you crying clown?”
”Go to hell Cash.”
”We’ll be just a minute Cash. Session terminated at 16:30. Dr Quinzel signing off.”
Harley didn’t know it then, but Joker didn’t actually feel any remorse for his victims. In fact, he’s often taken pleasure from making them suffer slowly, but Harley didn’t know that and though she couldn’t tell, Joker had already set his claws into her.
The Malefactor Files: Harley Quinn #8
File #4
Six months after Joker had been admitted to the Asylum the GCPD happened upon his contingency plan. A bomb built into a newly constructed wall beneath the Gotham cathedral. Analysis of the wall found that there was no way to remove the bomb without dismantling the wall which would bring the whole cathedral down. Thus there was only one option. Disarm the bomb before it could detonate. Joker had left the bomb on a timer that had been counting down from over the last six months and was due to detonate the next day.
In order to disarm the bomb a code was needed. Checking the keypad for prints yielded nothing, evidently Joker had the pad wiped clean after he activated the timer. That means the only way to disarm the bomb is to get him to hand over the timer. Needless to say, after the events in the tunnel of love, Jim was keen to keep me as far away from Joker as possible. As such it fell to Warden Quincy Sharp to convince Joker to hand over the code. Given how Arkham is regarded as a psychiatric hospital the guards aren’t allowed to use unconventional interrogation techniques so warden Sharp appealing to Joker’s human decency didn’t go down well.
Attachment: Warden Office CCTV – September 22nd 14:30
”Quincy old boy how are things? Still balding I see.”
“Do you know why I’ve called you here?”
”You’re finally retiring?”
“The bomb.”
”What bomb? That record Cash made?”
“The one under Gotham cathedral.”
”Bombing a church? That sounds more like Riddler’s MO. You know how much he loves insulting religion.”
“We know it’s yours.”
”I resent that! I’m not the only clown in Gotham with a love of explosives. Why’s it got to be me?”
“Probably because you signed the scene.”
”Oh yeah haha.”
“Give us the code.”
”Or what Sharpy? You gonna give me a stern talking to? Make me feel bad about myself?”
“You know this is wrong Jack.”
”WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY!?”
Joker charges forward at the Warden’s desk in anger, stopped only by Cash managing to grab hold of him.
”WHAT DID YOU SAY?”
“Tell me the code Jack. No-one needs to get hurt.”
”If you want my help then you know who I’ll talk to!”
“What if he doesn’t want to talk to you?”
”Then boom! Hahahaha.”
“Take him back to his cell, and get me Gordon on the line.”
End of attachment.
Ever since we first crossed paths after he murdered Loeb, Joker’s always had a case of waring personalities between two personas. Jack Napier, a wannabe comedian and the Joker, a clown trying to make the world smile by causing misery to others. After we faced off against one another the Joker persona has slowly but surely begun to dominate Jack to the point where I’m not entirely sure if Jack’s in there anymore. That was cemented after that night in ACE Chemicals. Joker was trying to gather the components necessary to mass produce a new variant of the Joker toxin. Thanks to an analysis of the toxin I was able to piece together that the only place he could gather the compounds necessary on such a large scale was ACE Chemicals.
With that foreknowledge I had the GCPD set a trap for Joker and his men. It all went exactly as I had hoped. All of Joker’s men were arrested by the GCPD but Joker seemingly escaped. What Jim and I didn’t know was that Joker ended up falling into a vat of chemicals during the firefight. He wouldn’t be discovered until the ACE Chemicals workers emptied the vat the following morning. Many believe that’s the straw that broke the camel’s back.
Since then there’s been no reports of the Jack persona being exhibited by Joker. I fear it can be speculated that my hopes of purging the Joker persona from Jack ended up merely cementing his presence.
Alfred’s always speculated that Jason’s murder was Jack lashing out for what I did to him. Maybe he’s right, but I like to think otherwise. Perhaps that’s just me being desperate and hoping that deep down I didn’t end up killing Jack Napier. Either way, I now have to deal primarily with the Joker persona, and I had to deal with him in order to get the code to disarm the bomb under Gotham cathedral.
Attachment: Therapy Session Recording – Joker #2
“Therapy session 2. Patient’s name: J……”
There’s a long pause on the tape. Without a video feed it’s difficult to tell what’s making her hesitate but it’s implied that Joker was staring at her rather intensly.
”Joker. Acting physician, Doctor Harleen Quinzel. Date of session 22nd of September. Previous session was cut short so this session is designed to make up the remaining time from the previous session.”
”Cash can be so rude interrupting our one on one time like that.”
”From what I hear it was the Warden who cut out session short.”
”Word travels fast around here.”
”Well it’s not everyday a patient gets called up to the Warden’s office. You must have done something serious.”
”I just gave him some advice on how to stop his head from balding.”
”Warden Sharp is balding?”
”I think he’s considering wearing a wig.”
”Really?”
”Yeah the silly old fool.”
”So, Joker….”
”Yes Doctor?”
”Going back to our conversation. Why do you find yourself obsessed with the Batman?”
”Why do you find yourself obsessed with me?”
”I ask the questions here.”
”You’re hoping that if you can understand me that you will be able to understand him.”
”Perhaps.”
”Tell me, what’s the market at the moment for a book about the mind of the Batman?”
There’s a long pause. Evidently Dr. Quinzel was shocked that Joker knew she was just using him to write a book.
”Must be pretty good if you’re willing to talk to one of Gotham’s grade A crazies.”
”You think of yourself as crazy?”
”You don’t?”
”…”
”The world’s a funny old place Doctor. It’ll do all it can to break you. The only thing that separates us from the animals is how we let the world break us. Some give up. Some fight back. Some go mad.”
”Is that what happened to you? The world tried to break you?”
”Of course.”
”Which action did you take?”
”What do you think?”
”…”
”You think I went mad.”
”You don’t?”
”Oh goodness no. I know I went mad. But unlike most, I accept it.”
”Who do you know that doesn’t?”
”Who do you think?”
”The Batman?”
”I couldn’t possibly say.”
”You think he’s mad?”
”Nooooooo……..I don’t think a man dressing up as a bat is mad the same way I don’t think a man dressing as a clown is mad.”
”Of course.”
”I suppose….”
”Suppose…?”
”In many ways you’re right.”
”How so?”
”He and I are alike.”
”Why do you say that?”
”I know it. He’s yet to accept it, but deep down he knows it as well.”
”You think Batman knows he’s crazy?”
”Maybe. Or perhaps he’s crazier than me?”
”I’m not sure many people would agree on that.”
”Probably not. But I at least know I’m crazy. If anything he’s mad to think he’s sane.”
”Maybe he is. But why do you think you’re mad?”
”Probably thanks to dear old daddy.”
”The one who hit you?”
”Do you know another?”
”So you think he’s the one responsible for who made you into this?”
”Goodness no. Sure daddy dearest didn’t help the situation but he didn’t make me.”
”Then what did?” The Batman?”
”Nope. All it took to break was one simple thing. One bad day.”
”What happened on that day?”
”Life destroyed my world.”
”What happened?”
”I…I…..”
”You can tell J. You can trust me.”
”I saw my wife murdered in front of my eyes.”
”….I didn’t know you were married…”
”I prefer it that way.”
”When was she killed?”
”Five years ago.”
”Just before you killed Commissioner Loeb.”
”It was that long ago? It feels like it was yesterday.”
”You feel remorseful?”
”I always do.”
”Then why do you keep killing more people if you don’t want to?”
”How else am I supposed to drown out the voices?”
”Voices?”
”Their screams.”
”You hear their screams?”
”Everytime I close my eyes. Sniff I just want to make them stop.”
”Hey hey it’s alright. It’s going to be alright. I promise.”
“Time’s up Doc.”
”Alright. Thanks Cash.”
“Are you crying clown?”
”Go to hell Cash.”
”We’ll be just a minute Cash. Session terminated at 16:30. Dr Quinzel signing off.”
Harley didn’t know it then, but Joker didn’t actually feel any remorse for his victims. In fact, he’s often taken pleasure from making them suffer slowly, but Harley didn’t know that and though she couldn’t tell, Joker had already set his claws into her.