Street lamps dimly light the path in the darkness of dawn, reflecting off puddles and cars. The tall apartment buildings are all worn down and dirty looking, with alleyways that hide several bins and abandoned furniture. Although they're considerably better looking than the apartment blocks in the 80's, Arthur can tell that not much care or thought has been put into the poorer areas. 27 years into the future, and the politics still don't care.

They walk for what feels like a while, until the buildings begin to shrink and improve in quality, as they move further into the middle class areas. These houses are better cared for, and some even seem rebuilt. Joker guides him down the path, which eventually leads a set of stairs decending under the path.

They wander through a mostly empty train station, and down the stairs to a double sided platform. Arthur notices that there's still graffiti coating the walls, and litter blown across the floor. A few people wait around for the trains dressed in suits, or casually if they're with kids. A cold chill blows through the tunnel as the two sit on a bench facing platform 4, waiting for the train.

Arthur glances around at the other people, taking in the different style of clothing and appearance, then smiles and waves at a little girl when she catches his eye. Her mother notices and moves between him and her daughter, giving him a glare. Arthur frowns and looks back at the tracks sighing, pulling his cardigan closer around him.

After what feels like hours in the chilly platform, their train finally screeches to a stop. He follows Joker onto the train, and sits down beside him on the seats closest to the door. Glancing around, Arthur notices that the trains are cleaner than they were, but the seats are still just as uncomfortable. There's not that many people inside the carriage. A few business men sat to the far left side; two mothers and their children sat on the opposite side to the left talking; an old man asleep three seats down; and a guy around Arthur's age sat in the corner on his right.

The doors close with a chime, along with a woman announcing the next stop, and the train jolts to a start. Arthur stares out the window as they move, and sighs fiddling with his sleeve. He's excited, yes, but also nervous. How different will his home city be? Will it be bigger? Better? Will the places he knew still be there, or will they be replaced or non existent? He doesn't notice his leg starting to bounce. An old habit of his.

No one really notices them throughout the journey, except the lone man in the corner. He knew beforehand that Joker would stand out with his facial scars and faded green hair, but surely this guy was taught that staring is rude. He only stops when Joker gives him a sharp glare which makes the man cower back.

Arthur glances at his companion, then back out the window. The man always seems to radiate chaotic and dangerous energy, but he seems calm around Arthur. It makes him wonder why he seems to like him so much. Shooting a TV show host dead on live television is cool to some, but is this the sort of guy he is? Joker never gave him a real name. He goes by this alias and decided to call Arthur by his legal name instead, so is it really safe to be around him?

Of course. If he was going to hurt Arthur, he would've done so already. And he wouldn't have taken him out in public. Joker is very likely a dangerous person, just not dangerous to Arthur. Still, their relationship to eachother is strange and Arthur doesn't get why he's interesting to him.

A few stops later, the two get off the train and walk through a slightly busy station. It's cleaner here. Obviously they're in a better part of the city, but Arthur had never actually seen somewhere like this that actually looked nice.

They walk outside, and Arthur gasps as he sees the size of the buildings. He turns to the Joker, eyes wide in amazement as he takes his surroundings in. He catches an amused glint in his eyes before gesturing with his head down the path. Arthur follows Joker, looking at the cars and streets, the people on their way to work. Sky high buildings seemingly made out of glass line the streets, along with a bridge in the far distance that a train passes across.

27 years into the future, and central Gotham looks straight out of a story. It's a shame that  downtown in the poorer areas still look almost identical to the 80's.

They continue down the path for a while, allowing Arthur to fully explore this part of the city. He's not sure where he is at first. Everything is new and modern, with some businesses or stores that he'd never even heard of. Occasionally, he'll spot a store that stands out or that he recognises, but it doesn't help locate an area. It's only when they come across a familiar tall building that Arthur realises that he's not that far away from home.

He stops and stares up at the sign coldly, his hatred for Thomas Wayne reigniting deep in his chest. Thinking back to one of the possibilities, he wonders if Thomas Wayne would be alive in this alternate reality if that's the case. Arthur had noticed Bruce in the alleyway when he was running from the police, and couldn't help but feel glad that Thomas Wayne was dead.

Joker stops and looks at him when he notices him stop, then looks at the building. "That's Wayne enterprises. Wayne owns pretty much everything now"

"I hate him"

There's a pause. The Joker stares at him for a few seconds, wondering if he knew.

"Who?"

"Thomas Wayne. He's an asshole. He ruined everything! He doesn't care about Gotham, or the poor!"

"He's dead. So is Martha"

A smirk appears on Arthur's face. "I know" He sighs happily.

"Bruce Wayne is the one who holds all the cards now"

"I met him once. He should really smile more"

Joker doesn't reply.

The train journey back feels shorter than it was the first time, and Arthur watches the digital display this time around, It feels weird to him that he didn't recognise most of the stops on the way from seeing them through the window. It's amazing how things can change.

A few stops away from where they came from, Arthur gets off at station without thinking. He knew right away that he has to see it. He has to see if his home is still there. The train departs, and after turning to see the Joker stood beside him without a complaint, he heads down the stairs to the streets.

Surprisingly, this area doesn't look too different to how it was when he ran though it yesterday. The stores are mostly the same, and the houses don't look that different. The first thing he notices is the absence trash bags all over the streets, and the cafe he used to love is now a game store.

They wander through the streets until they reach the stairs between two apartments, and Arthur climbs them as his anxiety and curiosity begin to grow. The Joker quietly follows him, wondering where Arthur is going. This seems to be the only place he fully recognised since they left the base.

Once he reaches the final step, Arthur darts around the corner towards an apartment block, pausing when he sees a fence across the entrance. He holds onto the bars and gently presses his face onto the metal, staring at the abandoned apartments in front of him. It was only yesterday he was here...

"I lived here" He mumbles with a frown as the other man gets close enough, "I'm surprised it's still standing...it was practically falling apart"

"There's a lot of buildings in this area that were just abandoned. They can't be bothered to fix it or to build something else so it just remains empty"

"And then they complain about the homeless" Arthur reaches up to pick at his eyebrow in frustration, then turns back to him. They make eye contact for a few seconds, before Arthur heads back down the street towards the station.

Joker watches Arthur walk, still trying to work him out. He's confident but sometimes awkward, and occasionally seems more childish than a man his age should be with the way he talks and acts. He definitely has little to no guilt about killing, but doesn't seem to express his emotions that well. The card comes to mind, and he briefly wonders what else Arthur suffers from. That should be something to find out soon; he can't risk surprises if Arthur helps him out. He just needs more time.

As the sun begins to rise from behind the tall buildings, the two Jokers head back home by train without another word.