Love, Lust and Explosives

Ero Sennin - Woman, that last chapter of yours melted my drawers! (The story is “Finding love in unexpected places” in celebrity fiction – I highly recommend it) As I have said before: I’m not really satisfied until you review. Thank you so much, my friend!!

JokersChaosPrincess - You really made my day, again. So glad you like it so far. I really am trying to update sooner.

seditionary - Thank you!!!! I try to leave the chapter hanging…hope I’m able to keep the suspense going. BTW, you need to update now…subtle enough for ya! lol

Mademoiselle - So glad you’re enjoying the hunt!! Ha, ha…poor Violet.

KrystalTheElvishHobbit - Man-o-man I’m loving your story. That last chapter was amazing! And thank you, thank you, thank you for the review. Hope I don’t disappoint.

ROGUEFURY - Thank you for continuing to read and review!!! You know … I would love for you to continue your story! It is wonderful!! Your writing is poetic. I might have to send Mr. Crow after you. lol


Chapter Twelve: Not Everything Burns


Dr. Wolf and Mr. Crow arrived at the scene of the inferno, parking well away from the crowds of emergency personnel swarming around the scene. Dr. Crow took one look at the devastation and knew Violet had been there. He believed without doubt that he was the only person who truly understood her. He alone knew what she was capable of and what she needed. No one else could possibly appreciate the complex wonder of his brilliant creation.

Of course, the doctor and Mr. Crow weren’t interested in the smoldering remains of the grand old house. They wanted Violet. Using a set of flawless counterfeit credentials, Mr. Crow approached some of officers on the periphery of the blaze. His stark lanky form was so menacing it bordered on the repellent, but he had the right ID, so his questions were answered.

Mr. Crow returned to the car, pausing to admire the doctor’s profile in the window against the flashing lights. With his elegant features and his chin held at that regal angle….he was simply breathtaking. Mr. Crow hated to look away; even long enough to get back in the car.

He informed Dr. Wolf that so far there was one body found in the smoking rubble, but it was completely unidentifiable. No other persons were found in the vicinity. Dr. Wolf knew without doubt that the body in the ashes was not Violet; he actually hoped that it was the Joker. Maybe he tried to have his way with Violet and she resisted the filthy freak. However, he was slightly disappointed that she had not been found by the authorities. It would have made her recovery simpler. Ah, well. He already had his men performing an intensive search of the surrounding areas. It wouldn’t be long now.


“Drive West, Mr. Crow; I have a feeling my girl will be heading into the city.”

Mr. Crow rankled at the phrase: “my girl”, but he obediently pulled out onto the road.

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As they headed back to the mansion, the Joker sat back in his seat with his eyes closed. He was so tired. But his mind was active as always. He thought briefly about the sex toys in the trunk of the car. There was this one thing that looked sort of like a giant squid humping the space shuttle. It was actually kind of scary. Even he couldn’t imagine how the hell that thing was used. But he’d have fun figuring it out.

“Hey Boss! Look!” one of his men shouted from the front seat, derailing his train of thought.

When the house came into view, the spark and flame became visible and grew brighter as they drove. The Joker was deathly silent as the magnitude of the destruction became apparent. His men glanced at each other fearfully, anticipating the fallout of anger and violence.

The car paused at the entrance. The Joker glared intently at the scene of destruction for several long seconds before he finally ordered the driver to move farther down the road and pull over to the side. He sat in silence with his shoulders hunched, as he stared straight ahead boring holes in the back of the driver’s head with his eyes.

Finally he spoke in a low, barely audible growl, “Slappy-Joe, Bobo, you two get out-uh, go get a fire-man or a police-man and bring him to me, NOW! And don’t get caught or I’ll leave your asses.” They immediately exited the vehicle.

The Joker had been taken by complete surprise, which rarely happened because he always expected the unexpected. He valued the unpredictability of chaos; he needed it… like Batman needed justice. Had he grown so comfortable and complacent that he had forgotten this? Or was there some other reason that his black heart felt like it was being squeezed in a vice. He hated this feeling. It made him fucking furious!

He began punching and kicking the seat in front of him as he screamed a stream of obscenities at the air around him. The terrified clowns in the front seat cowered down near the floorboards trying to make themselves as small as possible, hoping desperately to get out this alive. Then as suddenly as it began, it stopped. The joker sat back, still as a statue with his head down and his hands in his lap. The clowns that were hunkered down in the front didn’t dare move...or breathe.

The two men returned to the car, dragging a half conscious policeman between them. Although dawn was nearing, it was still dark enough to give them cover. They opened the back door of the car and threw the unlucky officer into the back seat with the Joker slamming the door closed behind him. The policeman slumped back against the seat shaking his head, trying to clear it. Then, he opened his eyes, shocked and horrified to find he was sitting beside the clown prince of crime. His eyes grew wide and he backed away from the Joker, wedging himself against the door of the car.

“You have one opportunity here… I’m going to ask you a couple of questions. Answer them quickly and truthfully and you might just leave this car in one piece. Jerk me around, and you'll leave it in several. Got it?” The Joker ground out through gritted teeth.

The terrified officer nodded his head violently.

“Good boy. What hap-pened here?” He asked licking his lips and breathing heavily.

“W…we don’t really know yet…uh...s...sir. So far they’re saying they think the fire started upstairs. They found a body…” He was interrupted abruptly when the Joker grabbed him violently by the hair, jerking him forward so they were face to face. The man was so terrified he almost whimpered.

The Joker suddenly felt an overwhelming sensation – something unpleasantly like fear for the first time in a very long time. He really didn’t care about the house, the money or the weapons. He really never did. They were simply tools of chaos, easily replaced. But…Violet…crazy, infuriating, funny…sweet Violet…

“A…BO-DY?!!!”

The officer tried with all his strength to pull himself out of the Joker’s grip. The need to distance himself from this creature screaming at him was overwhelming.

“Y…yes...sir...…just one. I...it was b...burned so badly…...it will take some time to identify it.”

The Joker threw him back against the car door with great force; knocking all the breath out of the policeman. A handful of his hair remained in the Joker’s hand.

“Male……or…......female?” he snarled

The officer gasped for breath, too terrified to answer.

“ANSWER ME!!!” He screamed, spraying the backseat with spittle.

“Please…we don’t know! B...but they found a weird knife on the body. It must have been in a pocket. It has a hole in it…..a cutout in the center of the blade.” The officer tried desperately to explain between gasps for air.

The Joker’s eyes narrowed briefly before opening wide in recognition -- the knife he threw at Bumbles! With lightning speed he dove toward the captive policeman. He reached for the handle beside him, opening the car door, pushing it wide and shoving the man out of the car onto the ground.

“Get in!” He shouted at the two clowns waiting outside the car. He was laughing so hard, that they hestitated, before piling into the car cautiously.

They were still in the process of slamming the doors as the car sped off engulfing the officer on the ground in a thick cloud of dirt and gravel.

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Violet reached an area where the buildings appeared to be completely abandoned. On the opposite side of the street from her, in an empty lot, were several homeless men gathered around a metal barrel. They were trying to warm themselves with the tiny fire flickering up from the blackened metal. The little flames created eerie shadows the walls of the buildings surrounding the lot.

Without a sound, Violet approached the small group. One by one the tattered men looked up, finally noticing the strange intruder. Then suddenly they began stumbling backward with expression of fear at the startling sight of the flame in Violet’s outstretched hand.

With a small graceful gesture, Violet pointed her left hand toward a large pile of old wooden pallets instantly creating a blinding arch of blue-white flame and, in a millisecond, there was a blazing bonfire. Violet continued on her path, leaving the bewildered bums staring after her, as they drew together around the warmth of the new fire.

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Dr. Wolf directed Mr. Crow farther into the Narrows, following a path that he deemed the most likely. Before long, the car was driving past a vacant lot. It was lit up like Gotham’s ritzy downtown by a huge blazing fire. Dr. Wolf almost laughed out loud in his excitement. "She'll be home before the sun has risen." He thought to himself smugly.

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Now deep inside the Narrows, Violet looked ahead and noticed a rickety old bench, perched precariously under a dim blinking streetlight. Sitting hunched over on the bench was what appeared to be a raggedy little old man. He wore a cloth draped around his head and tied under his chin like a woman’s scarf. In his hand he held what was obviously a bottle of liquor in a paper sack. Violet continued walking toward the bench, taking a seat beside the elderly man, finally allowing herself to rest quietly.

“Here,” the battered-looking gentleman said in a low gravelly voice, offering her his bottle.

Violet took it without question and took a long drink, shuddering slightly before handing the bottle back.

They sat in congenial silence for some time before he finally asked, “How’s tricks, sweetheart?”

“I’m in love…” she responded, continuing to stare straight ahead.

“Is it the real thing?”

She paused several minutes before saying, “It’s better than the real thing...…to me.”

“Hmmm….better than the real thing?” He regarded her with interest. “Wanna another drink?”

“Yes.”

He handed her the bottle again, and she took another long drink, savoring the intense heat as the spirits made their way to her stomach.

“Damn shame if you ask me. Love?! You sittin’ out here with me like this, tells me that you feel as bad as you look. Is it worth it?

“Oh yes…It was worth every second...but,” she stopped and looked down at her hands, “It burned. I burned it.”

He laughed softly, “Are you sure? Did you see the last dying ember? Did you see the last tiny flame go out?”

Violet’s eyes flew open and she swung around to look at the man beside her, “No! No, I didn’t…I left…I ran away!”

He struggled to stand and took a few shaky steps before turning back to her. “Well now. See there. You don’t know everything you think you may know, do ya? Let me tell ya, sweetheart. Not everything in this world burns. Some things are...you know…uh…what do ya call it?…..noncombustible. Yeah…noncombustible. That means not burn-able, ha!”

He glanced down at the bottle clasped tightly in his hand. “You don’t need this. What you need is….some damn shoes.” He shook his finger at her.

“Hell, don’t even know something as simple as that…” The man continued muttering to himself as he walked away, his voice growing fainter as he faded into the dark. Violet watched him until he was no longer visible, smiling once more.


Well, I hope the Joker's reaction did him justice. He is a man of simple tastes.....