Chapter 185 Chapter 185 [VIP]
The dim candlelight was not able to illuminate the Joker's face at all. He suddenly realized that there was something wrong with Megan's learning model. It was hard to tell whether her brain was smart or stupid. She only learned some insignificant things from the Joker, such as her tricks to attract people's attention and those clumsy jokes. But in the most crucial aspects, she imitated 'Arthur Damon' ten times. What could the Joker say?
He looked at Megan deeply. She pretended to be stubborn in front of him and acted as if she was not afraid of him. Wasn't she also afraid of her own fate?
She thought he would continue to be tolerant and patient with her, that she was the special one, that he was as immersed in this heartwarming drama as she was, but he was the one who wrote and directed it all, and the little actor in front of him was the only one who was so immersed in the play that he couldn't extricate himself.
The clown's face was covered with wrinkles, and he frowned fiercely, but the corners of his scarlet mouth were still passively raised. He was not immersed in this tender drama, but he had his own comedy, which had begun many years ago. He stood on this stage, manipulating many audiences, but sometimes he became a puppet.
As he brought madness, chaos, bloodshed and death to the world, listening to the screams or cheers of the audience or 'special guests' below the stage, and pushing everything to a climax with his baton, he was also manipulated by these things. He had to work hard for these things, devote his heart and energy, and throw all his rationality and madness into the flames of the explosion and burn them all. He did these things as if they were work, but once described in this way, he was no different from everyone else in the world, just a mediocre person who did nothing.
This was a feeling he often had; otherwise, why would he always go mad? This world was too insane, a place that could accommodate both good and evil. The Joker tried to disrupt order, while the Dark Knight maintained it. Yet, neither would easily retreat, and with the outcome seemingly unending, they joined forces with others to perpetuate the drama, forcing it into an unstoppable cycle...
He was mad, doing all those lively, unfortunate things, occasionally taking care of this child in the intervals, raising her, and saving her from pain, but it seemed that he had done something wrong? Perhaps he had to treat her more harshly and cruelly to raise a child like him?
But with the first one, what were the others? They were just shoddy imitations. After all, he wasn't a bat, and he wouldn't easily replace the little creatures around him. Compared to the two, he actually seemed responsible?
The clown seemed to calm down a little, and he just stood there instead of just pushing her away and ignoring her forever. Of course, he was offended by the child, and with his temper, he would definitely give a small gift in return, but he didn't do that.
His hand still gripped Megan's jaw, scrutinizing her closely. Her eyes, moist from recent tears, drooped slightly, making her look harmless and pitiful. But she could say such words, unafraid of his threats, unafraid of his authority. Was she a good child? Of course she wasn't, but the Joker had known she would rebel in the future, yet he had allowed it all to happen. Now, witnessing the expected outcome, was he still going to be angry about it?
So who is the pitiful one? Everything she has is in his hands, and he hasn't even decided how to treat her. Who is the poor one who has fallen into this ridiculous situation and is being mocked by fate?
Megan took seriously all his hypocritical performances about "family", "happiness" and "warmth". She fell deeply into this sweet trap. Even now, she held her head high, without a trace of fear in her expression. She believed in that love, lowered her head in the clown's silence, and gently placed it on his hand that was pinching her chin, pretending to be extremely dependent.
But why couldn't she hold back her tears? If she had made the decision long ago, had resolutely gone against him, she wouldn't have acted like this. The cool, wet water flowed onto the Joker's palm, through the leather glove, but the touch was all too clear, and she couldn't stop sobbing. Megan let him look at her, burying her head in his waist, raising her arms to hold him, and took a step forward.
She said, "Dad, I want to make sure that people who are in pain don't suffer anymore."
She had already found her own direction and was stubbornly sticking to it, so she wanted him to compromise? Look how self-righteous she was, thinking that everything she wanted could be granted?
The clown felt it was ridiculous. What he had been expecting since the day he brought her back happened, but he finally realized that this joke was not funny. However, he did not get angry, and even loosened his hand that was pinching her jaw. As if to comfort her, he slowly put his arm around her shoulders and patted her, "Do you have anything else to say to me?" This is her birthday!
He had a smile on his face that was not as ferocious as before. His wrinkled brows were full of meaning, and he showed a hint of calmness and rationality. It was obvious that he was thinking about a decision.
"I love you, Dad," Megan said.
"But you're too overbearing, too self-willed, Megan." His tone was no longer intense, giving the illusion of a relaxed atmosphere. But what he didn't say was, what good was her love? She'd only ever said it, but what about her actions? She'd displeased him, betrayed him, and even now, she was still demanding, with no hope of any return. This was truly the most unprofitable business he'd ever run.
The Joker said slowly that Megan believed the lie too much, and it became her confidence, so much so that she had a rebellious heart. Even though she had encountered some bad characters in her growth process and they became her negative examples, it did not mean that she had done nothing wrong. Because she was his, she should not have done that, and should not have learned and imitated them blindly.
But it was too late to say anything now. The clown took off the glove that was wet with her tears and threw it away, then carried Megan aside.
The night was ruined. When he turned around, the wind blew out the candle due to his big movement. His vision was completely unobstructed in the dark environment. He walked towards the door. He heard Megan's movement behind him. She tried to catch up with him with disordered steps, but her vision ability at night was not very good. She was obviously tripped by something, making a dull sound, but she was silent like a mute child.
He strode towards the door, pushed it open and left without stopping.
…
Megan was left in the house. She tripped over a stool and fell. In the dim light, she could only see the clown's figure walking farther and farther away until it finally disappeared into the night. She hugged her painful leg and rubbed it with her head down.
She didn't know what her mood was. After the clown left, her tears stopped. She had no regrets or grievances about the disagreement with her father tonight. She was just in a daze for a long time. When she got up with a sniffle to turn on the light, she saw a familiar figure at the door.
"Nelson...where's my dad?" she asked slowly, her voice muffled because of her blocked nose.
Nelson was guarding the door. He strictly followed the Joker's orders and had worked for this moody boss for many years. He was undoubtedly trusted. He was taciturn and didn't like to show off - you know, this was also one of the Joker's taboos. He didn't like subordinates with too distinct personalities. The more outstanding the person, the more likely he would be "used" and become a victim.
Nelson had worked for the Joker for many years, acting for him on many matters with unwavering loyalty. He was also aware of some of the Joker's hidden attitudes, so his attitude and position towards Megan had changed long ago. Even today, even though he keenly noticed signs of conflict between them, his attitude towards Megan remained the same. He squatted down, trying to look the child in the eye, and said only one sentence: "Sorry, Miss Megan, the boss won't let you go out."
In other words, Megan was grounded by the Joker.
She was locked up in this two-story building, and Robin was stuck because of what happened in Gotham at night and couldn't fly here. This kind of situation happened frequently in the past. After all, they didn't see each other every day, nor did they talk on the phone at any time. There was still more than a week before her school started, so if she didn't lose contact suddenly, it wouldn't attract attention.
The only person Megan sees every day is Bob. He is the only one who comes every day, cooks for her, cleans up, and leaves after completing his work.
It was already the third day after her birthday. Seeing that she was in a bad mood, Bob finally hesitated and took out a stuffed toy. It was very small, and the fur had become rough due to being washed many times. It looked inconspicuous, but Bob placed it in front of Megan. He said a little stiffly: "It's 'Sponge Bob in Square Pants'..." It was the first doll Megan got.
She didn't like watching the cartoon because she thought it was noisy, but she reached out and held the square doll.
Megan blinked slowly. After Bob left, she lifted the doll high and looked at it. Then she realized belatedly, "Oh, Sponge Bob." A sponge with the same name as Bob.
She wanted to find the origin of this doll in her memory, but she had no idea when it came to her. It had been with her for longer than she had been conscious and had memories. It had existed for so long -
Her father spent even longer with her than this doll. Her eyes gradually curved and her smile gradually appeared. However, after not taking her medicine for several days, she suffered from headaches, dizziness and blurred consciousness. Sometimes Megan clearly thought of something, but soon those thoughts turned into a blank. There was no strong reaction after stopping the medicine, but everything she had was torn into pieces, making her gradually lose that warm and reluctant road.
She was still standing at the starting point, not moving forward, but just looking back, but gradually lost.
Without the protection of the pills given to her by the Joker, everything she has will be washed away by the recurring tides. The painful currents will take away all the good things, but that is because there is nothing bad in her heart, so nothing is left. In the end, she is left at a loss, with fine sand piling up in front of her, perhaps forming a new barrier.
Megan sat by the window in the living room. For a moment she almost forgot everything. The wind blew across her empty chest, and she couldn't find or remember what to do. She put the doll in her hand aside and hid in the corner like a little mouse.
The author has something to say:
I tried to promote the song "The Return - 7/7". It was originally the music for the previous chapter, but I forgot?
It feels very consistent with the recent plot.
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