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SM/DC Chapter 12 : Arthur vs Joker
🕑 Added 2025-01-27 20:51:19 +0000 UTCArthur watched in shock as the woman's figure twisted grotesquely. Her limbs contorted unnaturally, her skin turning pale and almost sickly white. Her hair shifted into two colors: one side a bright, obnoxious pink, the other a deep, electric blue. A wide, deranged grin stretched across her face, smudged lipstick forming a ghastly smile.
Arthur squinted, disbelief etched on his face. "Harley Quinn?" he muttered.
Harley twirled a massive, oversized mallet out of nowhere, giggling maniacally. "Ding, ding, ding! Give the boy a prize! But, sugar, you're in my playground now!" She pressed a button on her mallet, and suddenly, explosive confetti burst from the head, filling the room with blinding flashes and choking dust.
Arthur coughed, waving the colorful smoke away with his free hand. "Really? Confetti bombs? That’s your big play?"
Harley wagged a finger at him, grinning wildly. "Oh, honey, I’m just gettin' started!" She flipped backward onto a nearby ledge, releasing more smoke bombs into the air.
Arthur growled, gripping his greatsword tightly. "Annoying..." He charged toward her, but as he closed the gap, a shadowy figure leapt in his path. Without thinking, Arthur swung his sword, slicing the figure clean in half.
To his frustration, it wasn’t Harley. It was a faceless mob-like enemy that crumbled into dust.
"Oopsie! Wrong one!" Harley taunted from above, swinging her legs playfully from the ledge.
Arthur scowled and advanced again, only for more shadowy figures to lunge at him from all directions. Each time he tried to close in on Harley, he was forced to cut down the mobs blocking his way. His blade struck true every time, but each swing only led to more faceless enemies spawning between him and his target.
Harley cackled, tossing random objects—rubber chickens, smoke grenades, even a pie—at him, all of which either missed or served to irritate him further. "You’re like a puppy chasing its tail! So cute!"
Arthur gritted his teeth, spinning mid-swing to decimate another wave of mobs. "You’re starting to piss me off, clown."
"Aww, poor baby," Harley cooed mockingly. "Why don’tcha take a breather? Oh wait, you can’t!" She pressed another button on her mallet, and the ground beneath Arthur crackled with electric sparks.
Arthur jumped back just in time, his boots skidding across the floor. "You’re all tricks and no bite," he growled. His patience wearing thin, he activated Bloodlust, his eyes gleaming with crimson fury.
The next time a mob lunged at him, Arthur moved faster than before, cutting it down in one clean motion and closing the distance between him and Harley. She tried to backflip away, but this time, Arthur anticipated her movement, leaping high and slamming his greatsword down onto her mallet. The impact shattered it, sending her tumbling to the ground.
"Alright, Quinn," Arthur said, looming over her as she struggled to get up. "Enough of the games."
Harley looked up at him, a flicker of panic crossing her face before she forced another grin. "Heh, guess the fun’s over, huh?" She raised her hands in mock surrender.
Arthur didn’t hesitate. “Enough games,” he muttered, swinging his greatsword in a clean arc. The blade cut through her effortlessly, and Harley’s body fell limp to the ground.
He exhaled sharply, gripping his sword as he stared at her lifeless form. “This is just a simulation,” he reminded himself. “It shouldn’t matter.” Wiping the sweat from his brow, he turned and began walking toward the exit. “Guess that’s it for level 10. I think I can move further—”
BOOM!
The deafening sound of an explosion cut him off mid-sentence, the shockwave knocking him off his feet. Arthur coughed, disoriented, as dust and debris filled the air. He looked back to where Harley’s body had been, only to find a smoking crater in its place.
A slow, menacing clap echoed through the air. Arthur squinted, and out of the smoke stepped a figure he immediately recognized. A tall man in a purple suit, green hair slicked back, and a face painted with a horrifyingly cheerful grin.
The Joker.
Arthur’s eyes narrowed, his grip tightening on his sword. “You’ve got to be kidding me…”
The Joker threw his head back and let out a spine-chilling laugh. “Oh, I never kid! Well, maybe sometimes! But this? This is no joke, my boy!” He spread his arms wide, his voice dripping with mockery. “You thought my Harley-girl was the final act? Oh no, no, no! She’s just the warm-up act to the real punchline—ME!”
Arthur stood up, his body tense and his mind racing. “The Joker on level 10? I thought Harley was the boss here…” he muttered, feeling the weight of his situation.
The Joker tilted his head, his smile widening unnaturally. “Oh, don’t look so surprised! You’re in my funhouse now, kiddo! And the rules? Well, let’s just say they’re mine to bend… or break!” He pulled out a deck of razor-sharp playing cards, casually tossing one into the air and catching it between his fingers.
Arthur’s expression hardened. “You think I’m afraid of you?”
“Afraid?” The Joker cackled, tapping his temple with a finger. “Nah, you don’t seem the type. But that’s okay—fear’s not the only spice in my kitchen. How about… chaos?” With a snap of his fingers, shadowy mobs began emerging from the smoke, their forms grotesque and twisted, wielding knives, bats, and even chains.
Arthur rolled his shoulders, raising his sword. “Fine. Chaos it is. Let’s see how you handle it when I cut through your little circus.”
The Joker grinned devilishly, pulling a small detonator from his pocket and waving it tauntingly. “Oh, you’re going to love what comes next, kiddo! Let’s make this a real showstopper!”
The Joker’s shadowy mob surged forward like a tide of chaos, their grotesque forms wielding an arsenal of crude weapons. Arthur swung his greatsword with precision, cutting down the first wave effortlessly. His movements were sharp, calculated—born of the system’s enhancements, but also something deeper, something instinctive.
Through it all, the Joker stood back, grinning like a puppet master pulling the strings. He spun the detonator in his hand, his laughter echoing in the eerie silence between Arthur’s strikes. "You’re good, kid! Real good! But you’re playing checkers, and I’m over here with 4D chess! Let’s up the ante!" He slammed his hand on the detonator.
BOOM!
Explosions erupted around Arthur, forcing him to leap back to avoid the collapsing debris. The mobs didn’t let up, closing in even as Arthur’s blade carved through them. Yet, no matter how many he killed, the Joker’s twisted grin remained plastered on his face.
Arthur gritted his teeth, his Bloodlust ability flaring to life. A crimson aura surrounded him, and the remaining mobs faltered, trembling in fear. But not the Joker. He simply laughed harder, his eyes glinting with something that unnerved Arthur. "Oh, that’s cute! A little blood-soaked aura? You think that’ll scare me?" he mocked, spreading his arms wide. "Kid, I’ve been staring into the abyss since before you were born. And guess what? The abyss stared back—and laughed."
Arthur hesitated for a split second, unnerved by the Joker’s lack of fear. Even with Bloodlust active, the man seemed to revel in the chaos, as if he thrived on it. “What the hell are you?” Arthur muttered under his breath.
The Joker wagged a finger at him. “Oh, no, no, no! You’re asking the wrong question, my boy! It’s not what am I—it’s why! And the answer is simple: I exist to show the world that it’s all one big joke! And you, my sword-swinging friend, are the punchline!”
