Why So Serious? (Heath Ledger)

Chapter 19

I grabbed my duffle bag and tossed it over my right shoulder before leaving the livid alleyway.

If I was going to get my revenge on the Joker, I'd have to do it tonight. Might be the only chance I'd ever get. That son of a bitch would hurt no one any longer.

As I walked past stores on the way to the bus stop, I couldn't help but look at my reflection in the store windows. My hood was on and shadowed my face. The street lights causing a bright glare on the glass.

I finally found a bus stop and quickly but thoroughly read over the "invitation". The address seemed awfully close to the crowded, populated part of Gotham. Strange, that they'd be in a position of so easily being able to be caught.

But then again, some members of the MOB were quite wealthy people, and worked high up for the business industries in the city. Which would mean they were somewhat smart, decisive even.

Time passed by slowly, but soon enough, a bus had arrived. I told the driver where I needed to go and handed him 10 dollars. For a long moment he just sort of stared at me, as if inspecting me. As if he were reading my thoughts. Until final shutting the bus doors.

I made my way to the back of the semi empty bus, there was only one person. Someone who was also wearing a hood,it was a dark grey and I could tell by the shoulder structure, that he was man.

I sat down and immediately the bus started to move, the engine giving off a loud mechanical, gruff, sound. As if it needed some work. I stared out the window for a while, into night. The cold, heartless night. A light fog covered the glass, but it didn't bother me.

I could feel my heart beating faster and faster. Because I knew, that with each passing minute, I was getting closer to finding him again. And I couldn't tell quite what I was feeling. Whether I was mostly excited, nervous, or scared. Maybe all three.

I looked down at my leather black gloves and fumbled around with one of the knives that was in my left sleeve.

Was I really doing this? Was I really going to finally find him? Kill him? I thought for a moment. Then what? What's going to happen when I kill him? It won't change anything... would it?

But then I snapped back into reality. I'm not killing him just to get rid of him. I was killing him because he had killed John. He had taken away the only person I had here in this God forsaken town. And now I was truely, and utterly alone.

I was a criminal, a misfit. Maybe even insane. After everything I'd planned my future, everything I'd done. All that hard work. Effort. And it was all for nothing.

I gripped the knife in my sleeve tight. I needed to be strong, I need to picked up the pieces of my broken heart and stich them back together as best I could. I needed do it for John.

The bus stopped and I realized that this was the street I needed to get off at. I took my duffle bag and stood up to leave. But I wasn't the only one getting off.

The strange man I'd seen before, in the hood stood up too. I became suspicious as he was waiting for me, to get off first. I wondered quietly in my head, if maybe he was following me. I was just being paranoid though.

I passed him, but releivingly found that it was just some kid. Probably no older than 16. I let out my breath. I was still curious though. Where was this kids parents? And why the hell would he be getting off at a stop like this?

I boarded off the bus and began to look for the number 268 which was supposed to be on one of these buildings. And these weren't just your average office buildings either. I stared at the humongous skyscrapers that reached out for the night sky like their lives depended on it.

For a moment, I took a quick glance behind me to see if the kid was still there. But he wasn't. I started to wonder if he'd even got off the bus in the first place.

I continued walking the streets for a while, until I saw it. Shining in the ally way from the street lights. It was the number, 268. I smiled a little, thinking myself foolish for a moment. The numbers weren't an address for a building. They were graffiti on the allyway of a wall. Numbers that had been spray painted on some bricks.

I turned my direction and found my self standing in front of a pair of doors in the allyway. It was a dark night, considering all the lamps on the streets. But this night was strange because there weren't any stars in the sky.

It was as if they'd all just, disappeared. I again looked at the numbers that were spread across the doors in spray paint. 268.

I gave a good 3 knocks on the door and waited a few minutes before it opened. A tall muscular man stood there staring at me. His beard closely shaven to his face. His eyes dark and ominous.

I took the invitation out of my pocket and I held it up, waiting for him to take it. Instead, he came out side and held the door open waiting for me to go inside.

My plan was working. I had made it to the meeting with the MOB. And tonight, the Joker would die.