The big day fills Arthur with excitement and anxiety. He's still not been told what they're actually doing, (Arthur is sure there isn't even an overall plan) but he can tell that it's going to be great. John stops by beforehand to sort some last moment things out, along with two other men. He recognises one of them from the time when Joker showed him around, where he had stood by the door. His name is Rob, a pale and tired looking man who's easy to anger, but also likes to crack a few jokes. The other is a young man, Cal, who always seems five seconds away from laughing or crying, but a nice man overall.

Joker tries to explain what they're meant to do, trying to ignore John's consistent pacing of the living room. Arthur notices Joker staring at him annoyed, but surprisingly doesn't voice it. He just tries to sort out Cal taking over Thomas' role as he's refusing to let anyone come into his room. 'One of those moments' John had called it. Whatever that means.

Eventually, Rob ends up snapping at him, "Will you stop it? It's really distracting, just listen to what he's saying!"

John walks behind Arthur and leans on the chair frowning, "You don't have to yell at me!"

Arthur glances at Joker expecting a response, but he just sighs and gives them a look. "Are you done?" They look down and mumble an apology, "Get ready and meet us downstairs in an hour. Try not to mess this up" It's something he's probably used to; he's been with these two longer than he has been with Arthur. It's just weird seeing him so oddly...patient with them.

The three leave, and Joker gets up cracking his neck, "You should get ready too. I want you to stay by me when we get here. There should be a group of about...uh...thirteen there. Let me take the lead once they're sorted out. Don't interrupt, and don't do anything I don't ask you to do. Alright?"

Arthur nods, and heads to the bedroom to get dressed. He walks over to the closet, and pulls out his red and turquoise outfit with a smile. A jolt of excitement shoots through him as he runs his hand over the material, remembering the good memories that came from the day he became Joker. The day he became free. There's still a few specks of blood on the collar of his jacket, but it's still perfect.

Humming a tune, Arthur begins to undress and pull his suit back on for what feels like the first time in months. He smooths the shirt out in the mirror, before buttoning up the waistcoat grinning. The jacket feels slightly bigger than it was before, but Arthur isn't bothered. He pulls the paper bag out of the bedside drawer, stuffs the gun in his pocket and walks over to the mirror. He brushes back his green hair, then searches through the drawers for a brush, before applying the white base coat across his face.

As he gets halfway through the white, he feels something warm brush up against his leg. He leans down and sees the cat from the other day, purring as she nuzzles against him. "Hello, Carousel" He mumbles smiling as he reaches down to scratch her head, "Today's the big day! I hope it goes well, it seems important to him, and I don't want to disappoint! It's been a while since I could let Arthur go again, even if it's just for a day. I was actually beginning to feel comfortable with him again"

She meows again as a reply and licks his hand, causing him to laugh "You think so? Well, I'm glad you still love me" and he picks her up to put her on his lap. Carousel curls up purring as he strokes her with one hand, and starts with the blue triangles with the other. He gently hums a tune again, smiling at his reflection as his Joker make up begins to develop.

Becoming Carnival used to be a nice moment of his day, as he could see himself becoming someone else. Someone who was actually happy and spread that onto other people, unlike himself. Becoming Joker is a similar experience. Only, he's not a clown anymore.

Soon, Joker walks in as he starts applying the smile to ask if he's ready. "I just need to finish the last part and I'm done. Oh! Meet Carousel! She's the cat I found the other day, isn't she cute?"

He just stares at Arthur's lap for a few seconds before nodding, "Yes, she is. Finish up and meet us downstairs. We're leaving early"

"Okay" Is the reply, before he paints the outline of his smile in a soft red. Once he's done, he picks Carousel up and cradles her in his arms as he walks to the bed, "I have to go now, but you can stay here until I get back" She meows softly curling up, and Arthur pets her again, "Good kitty"

The five clowns are already downstairs when Arthur gets there, so they leave immediately afterwards in a small van. He gets to sit up front with Joker, staring out the window as they drive past building after building. The buildings gradually become less frequent as they head towards the outskirts of Gotham, and Arthur starts to see parts of Gotham that he's never seen before. His curiosity outweighs the deafening silence of the van, allowing him to enjoy the scenery. They eventually reach a rundown looking warehouse by the river.

"Here we go" Joker mumbles, turning off the ignition and jumping out. Arthur follows him, and he let's the four other clowns out of the back. John chuckles and bounces on his feet, before patting Arthur's shoulder. Rob helps Cal out and looks at Joker for the next instructions. Joker looks at them, then heads towards the building as he checks his gun.

They enter the warehouse quietly, keeping on guard for anyone who should be inside. Joker walks ahead confidently, Arthur at his side, but his posture changes as the unwelcome silence fills the air. Arthur looks around uneasily, gun held firmly in his hands as he waits. There should've been people here, so why is it empty?

"Joker-"

"Stay close to me. You three," Joker gestures in a direction, before leading Arthur further in, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. He doesn't say anything else, but clicks his tongue a few times in disappointment when he realises that no one turned up. Arthur, however, begins to feel uneasy, despite the calmness his partner expresses to the situation. Something just doesn't feel right. "Didn't you say they were supposed to be here...?"

He doesn't reply, walking ahead and narrowing his eyes as he slowly turns to his right. Hearing movement behind them, Arthur spins around and see a tall man in a black bat costume towering over him. Before he can react, a fist collides with his jaw, sending him stumbling back. All of a sudden, he feels small again compared to the man. Something in Arthur's brain clicks, and his body begins to tremble as another set of laughs begin to jolt through his chest. He backs away as his trembling laughs echoe through the building.

Batman pauses momentarily as Arthur laughs, surprised by the sound. When Joker laughs, it's an insane joyfulness, almost intending to mock him. This guy...he sounds scared and in pain. However, he quickly shakes the thought off and punches him again, this time the blow knocks him to the floor. His ears begin to ring, along with his vision blurring as he watches Joker laugh and jump on Batman, in what looks like an attempt to wrestle him to the ground. He slowly presses his head against the floor, allowing himself to slowly black out.

_

Arthur slowly opens his eyes wincing, laying uncomfortably on a bench in an unfamiliar room. His eyes focus as he glances around, the ringing in his ears beginning to clear as he gains consciousness. At first, he notices the bars of the cell he's locked in, then the sound of people talking outside the cell and behind him. The cold of the room brushes against his skin, but as Arthur goes to pull his jacket around him, he realises that its not there.

A sinking feeling fills his chest as he realises that he was caught. The 'mission' was a failure, and he was caught. Will Joker be mad? Will he come back for him, or has he screwed his relationship up? Sitting up slowly, Arthur winces and pulls his arms around himself. Of course he'll come back, don't be stupid. He'll find a way.

Two police officers standing outside notice him wake up. "Get Gordan" One mumbles to the other, now standing alert as he watches Arthur. He frowns slightly and rubs his swollen cheek, wincing at the steady bruising caused by the punch. Dry blood crumbles inside his nose, and although he can taste blood in his mouth there's nothing when he wipes his face. They cleaned the paint off while he was unconscious.

The officer almost runs back in with an older looking man, who walks over to the cell. Arthur reads the tag on his jacket. 'Commisioner Gordan'. The commissioner seems uncertain at first, before unlocking the cell and walking over.

"You're awake..." He starts, "good...please hold your hands out"

Complying as he's still half dazed, Arthur watches as he gets handcuffed, and lead out of the cell towards another room with a window. Gordan presses his ID card against the scanner, and leads him inside to the table. They sit opposite eachother, and Arthur glances towards the window which now looks like a mirror. He never saw the point in two way mirrors -they're so obvious.

It's silent for a minute or so with the two staring at eachother, before Gordan asks his first question, "What's your name?"

"Joker" Arthur replies without hesitation. It feels good to use that name again.

"That's his nam-"

"I'm Joker, and so is he. There's two Jokers in a deck of cards, Commisioner, did you know that?" He smiles wide, chuckling slightly, "Similar, but not the same. He's my friend"

Gordan sighs and throws a folder down on the desk, opening it to the right page and handing him a picture, "We took your prints, and there was no match. But then we tried other DNA testing and found a match from your medical records. You're Arthur Fleck...which...should be impossible"

He slowly breaks eye contact to look down at the photo, and pauses when he sees himself staring back. But, it's not him. Not entirely. He has the gaunt face and the cleft scar, but the left side of his face looks off, with his jaw slightly angled unnaturally. His brown hair is messy and dirty, sitting on his shoulders. But it's the eyes that are off. They're dull and lifeless, like something inside him had died. It's the look of a man who had lost all hope.

"Arthur...he died 27 years ago..."