Re: The Party Pooper + Everyone
His voice sent chills down her spine and Zatanna couldn't help the widening of her eyes. She was utterly disgusted-- with him and the fact that he made even the tiniest bit of sense. Because she knew these people and there was certainly more than one selfish person in this crowd. "Some of them maybe," she admitted, voice soft but strong, "but not all of them. There are still some good people in the world." She truly believed that, too-- and believed she was one of them.
And then the Joker faced her in all his grim horror. So close that she could see the cracked powder on his forehead and the insane gleam in his eyes. Zatanna couldn't even enjoy her relief that the knife was no longer pressed to her jugular, not when he was so close.
Suddenly he grabbed her neck. Zatanna let out a surprised choking sound all wide eyes and silent terror. She'd heard about this part-- about his scars. About how he loved to tell a story and it usually ended with at least one death. (And she'd elected herself his candidate for tonight. Brilliant move that'd been. So much for her brilliant encore.)
And then he froze. Zatanna couldn't tell what he saw but then she was thrust aside like last year's toys. Her shoulder and the back of her head hit a nearby wall and she saw stars as she coughed and wheezed. Relief flooded her veins and she felt awful. Was she any better than those people the Joker had claimed them all to be? Did it make her a terrible person that she was glad he'd shifted his focus? No, she didn't want the mayor harmed, but she didn't want to die, either.
Several people huddled around Zatanna as she blinked away tears that she'd later came were simply a physical response to her choking. They helped her to her feet, though she was somewhat unsteady and still breathing hard as she watched the scene unfolding before her. It was terrible and horrifying but she just could not look away. (Except to check on the children and, aside from their still frightened faces, they appeared to be no worse for the wear.)
Something awful was about to happen. Something terrible and there was nothing any of them could do to stop it. They could only witness the madness the Joker had in store for them and pray that someone knew how to stop this madman. (If not the police, then maybe Batman?) Stop him before he killed anyone else for sport or money or whatever reason it was that he acted the way he did.