The warehouse is completely engulfed in flames. And as everything catches fire and crashes to the ground below, he's in a small clearing. A knife is in the middle of his chest, just left of his heart, and he's bleeding out. But he's breathing. It's slow, it's ragged, but he's breathing.
Maybe that's not a good thing.
He pulls the knife out of his chest, screaming in complete agony as he does so, and as the knife drops from his hand and clinks to the ground, he wonders if maybe he can just bleed out here on the floor. Maybe he'll finally die. Or, maybe the flames will get to him first. It'd be fitting, to finally be released from this hell.
Because when the knife slammed into his chest, and he fell to the floor, it wasn't Joker being stabbed. It was Joe. It was Joe lying on the floor, looking up at her, gasping with what air he had left, telling her to get out. To get somewhere safe. He wants to tell her something else, but he blacks out before he can, before he can tell if she makes it out of there alive.
Living with Joker, becoming him once a month isn't ideal. It's not something he prefers to live with, and he's not capable of comprehending it; how people can just live with the horrible things their other sides have done, and be okay with it. Using his body, Joker has done horrible things. He's murdered people. He's used them. He's slept with countless women (and men). He's used drugs. He's threatened mob bosses and then killed their second in command. And every time it's over and only Joe is left, Joe is left to pick up the pieces.
Like now. The aftermath of Joker's final plan to ruin everything. Because sleeping with one of Joe's friend's last month wasn't enough. It hadn't worked, it hadn't ruined Joe. But this? This will.
Kidnapping and torturing Sloane is the last thing Joe wants to remember and yet it's all that he can see. He tried to fight Joker as much as he could. With every punch, with every slash of the knife made to her skin, every time she cried out in pain -- Joe struggled to take control. And he managed it, for a moment. Managed to help get the ropes off of her. Managed to realize what happened, and call out in remorse, losing it. He has control, for a small bit. But it wasn't long enough, before Joker took back over.
She had to escape. She had to let Stephanie take over and do what she had to, Joker wanted to murder her and Joe understood what she had to do. They fought. Joe had to watch in horror, unable to control as Joker used his strength to beat her, to kick her, to drag her by the hair. About to do the final blow, she managed to take control away from Joker. She grabbed the knife. She stabbed him through the chest, and ran out the best she could. Taking her chance to live. Leaving him to die.
If only he was that lucky.
He can already feel his body regenerating slowly as he starts to move, cursing that Joker suddenly has decided to go quiet, because he knows what this has done to Joe. As beams go crashing to the ground, he struggles to stand, and makes his way as fast as he can to the exit, his blood dripping all over the concrete as he goes.
He makes it out just as another explosion happens, and there is no way that the police don't come to the scene now. And he's bleeding, he's healing, but he's still worse for wear. He's weak. He has to get out of the city. Joker is still there, still telling Joe what can happen, that he can just go to the hospital and murder Sloane, finish the job. Joe screams out for him to shut up, and it catches the attention of one of Joker's men. Unable to control it, his arm raises and pulls out a gun (from where, Joe doesn't know) and Joe watches in horror as he shoots the man through the eyes. This is what life is going to be like now, Joey. This life is mine now. Joker taunts him, and Joe tries his best to fight it, but he has nothing to say back. He finds his way to a getaway car, gets in, and drives off to another hideout. Because Joe has never been awake really for any of these weeks, and now….now Joker is making him see.
Once he arrives at the hideout, he goes to the door but he doesn't go inside. He falls against the wall and slides down, blood painting the wall behind him, but he's not losing as much as he was before. Because he's healing. Because he has to remember this now, for the rest of his life.
He wants to know that she's alright. That she survived. That she's alive and breathing and has a chance at a better life. One where he's not in it. One where she doesn't have to worry if he's going to try to murder her again when Joker comes around. He wants to reach out, he wants to say all the things he wants to say but...he doesn't. He calls the hospital, asking if a woman with her name and description has made it, and when the nurse on call confirms, he hangs up. She'll be okay. It's the only solace that he has.
It's another hour, sitting in his own blood before he gets the strength to call someone else. He calls up one of the only people he knows will understand what happened, and will escape the city with him, someone who has another side that is just as twisted. He doesn't call anyone else. When the phone is answered, and it's more of Jason answering than Crane, Joe knows he's made the right choice.
Jason arrives at the second hideout, and finds Joe waiting outside, his clothes ruined, his face still cut but healing, his chest not fully closed. They work together to get Joe up off the ground and into the car, but it's not without struggle. He winces in pain as he gets into the passenger seat. "Drive," He says, "Just fucking drive." He doesn't care where he goes. He can't be in Boston anymore. Jason seems to be just as eager to leave, but Joe doesn't know why.
It's hours on the road and both men are silent, and he's thankful because he doesn't want to talk. There's only her on his mind, and knowing that this was it. That things went too far. That there's no going back from this. That he wasn't strong enough to stop it. That he couldn't save her, and he got her hurt.
His hand moves over his chest, where the knife was, but all that remains now is a deep scar. In another day or two, he'll be completely healed...physically. Mentally, is another story. It's the sinking realization that Joker has finally won, and a tear falls down Joe's cheek as he hears Joker laughing hysterically in his head.
There's nothing to fight for anymore. There is no saving him.
Joker won.
Maybe that's not a good thing.
He pulls the knife out of his chest, screaming in complete agony as he does so, and as the knife drops from his hand and clinks to the ground, he wonders if maybe he can just bleed out here on the floor. Maybe he'll finally die. Or, maybe the flames will get to him first. It'd be fitting, to finally be released from this hell.
Because when the knife slammed into his chest, and he fell to the floor, it wasn't Joker being stabbed. It was Joe. It was Joe lying on the floor, looking up at her, gasping with what air he had left, telling her to get out. To get somewhere safe. He wants to tell her something else, but he blacks out before he can, before he can tell if she makes it out of there alive.
Living with Joker, becoming him once a month isn't ideal. It's not something he prefers to live with, and he's not capable of comprehending it; how people can just live with the horrible things their other sides have done, and be okay with it. Using his body, Joker has done horrible things. He's murdered people. He's used them. He's slept with countless women (and men). He's used drugs. He's threatened mob bosses and then killed their second in command. And every time it's over and only Joe is left, Joe is left to pick up the pieces.
Like now. The aftermath of Joker's final plan to ruin everything. Because sleeping with one of Joe's friend's last month wasn't enough. It hadn't worked, it hadn't ruined Joe. But this? This will.
Kidnapping and torturing Sloane is the last thing Joe wants to remember and yet it's all that he can see. He tried to fight Joker as much as he could. With every punch, with every slash of the knife made to her skin, every time she cried out in pain -- Joe struggled to take control. And he managed it, for a moment. Managed to help get the ropes off of her. Managed to realize what happened, and call out in remorse, losing it. He has control, for a small bit. But it wasn't long enough, before Joker took back over.
She had to escape. She had to let Stephanie take over and do what she had to, Joker wanted to murder her and Joe understood what she had to do. They fought. Joe had to watch in horror, unable to control as Joker used his strength to beat her, to kick her, to drag her by the hair. About to do the final blow, she managed to take control away from Joker. She grabbed the knife. She stabbed him through the chest, and ran out the best she could. Taking her chance to live. Leaving him to die.
If only he was that lucky.
He can already feel his body regenerating slowly as he starts to move, cursing that Joker suddenly has decided to go quiet, because he knows what this has done to Joe. As beams go crashing to the ground, he struggles to stand, and makes his way as fast as he can to the exit, his blood dripping all over the concrete as he goes.
He makes it out just as another explosion happens, and there is no way that the police don't come to the scene now. And he's bleeding, he's healing, but he's still worse for wear. He's weak. He has to get out of the city. Joker is still there, still telling Joe what can happen, that he can just go to the hospital and murder Sloane, finish the job. Joe screams out for him to shut up, and it catches the attention of one of Joker's men. Unable to control it, his arm raises and pulls out a gun (from where, Joe doesn't know) and Joe watches in horror as he shoots the man through the eyes. This is what life is going to be like now, Joey. This life is mine now. Joker taunts him, and Joe tries his best to fight it, but he has nothing to say back. He finds his way to a getaway car, gets in, and drives off to another hideout. Because Joe has never been awake really for any of these weeks, and now….now Joker is making him see.
Once he arrives at the hideout, he goes to the door but he doesn't go inside. He falls against the wall and slides down, blood painting the wall behind him, but he's not losing as much as he was before. Because he's healing. Because he has to remember this now, for the rest of his life.
He wants to know that she's alright. That she survived. That she's alive and breathing and has a chance at a better life. One where he's not in it. One where she doesn't have to worry if he's going to try to murder her again when Joker comes around. He wants to reach out, he wants to say all the things he wants to say but...he doesn't. He calls the hospital, asking if a woman with her name and description has made it, and when the nurse on call confirms, he hangs up. She'll be okay. It's the only solace that he has.
It's another hour, sitting in his own blood before he gets the strength to call someone else. He calls up one of the only people he knows will understand what happened, and will escape the city with him, someone who has another side that is just as twisted. He doesn't call anyone else. When the phone is answered, and it's more of Jason answering than Crane, Joe knows he's made the right choice.
Jason arrives at the second hideout, and finds Joe waiting outside, his clothes ruined, his face still cut but healing, his chest not fully closed. They work together to get Joe up off the ground and into the car, but it's not without struggle. He winces in pain as he gets into the passenger seat. "Drive," He says, "Just fucking drive." He doesn't care where he goes. He can't be in Boston anymore. Jason seems to be just as eager to leave, but Joe doesn't know why.
It's hours on the road and both men are silent, and he's thankful because he doesn't want to talk. There's only her on his mind, and knowing that this was it. That things went too far. That there's no going back from this. That he wasn't strong enough to stop it. That he couldn't save her, and he got her hurt.
His hand moves over his chest, where the knife was, but all that remains now is a deep scar. In another day or two, he'll be completely healed...physically. Mentally, is another story. It's the sinking realization that Joker has finally won, and a tear falls down Joe's cheek as he hears Joker laughing hysterically in his head.
There's nothing to fight for anymore. There is no saving him.
Joker won.