The Many Destinies of Sunset Shimmer

by ratedoni

Canned Laughter - Noche's Madness

As many people know, the Earth has a very small mass land in comparison with other places and planets, but what if… wait… something’s wrong… this is not the dimension I wanted to show you and I have a bad feeling about this.

So let’s see where we are, shall we? First of all we got ourselves a very gothic looking city, is currently night and several police blimps are patrolling the cities as people in fine suits and dresses concur the streets in this lovely evening. I don’t know about you but I feel that there is something very familiar about this scene.

Maybe it has to do with the long shadows across the buildings as if they were painted with a long brush full of ink, with enough darkness and light mixing together to create the atmosphere of old Noir films. In this city you could find the best people in the world, being capable of great compassion and love but also the amount of darkness that could be found in some people’s souls could throw you into the oblivion that is pure madness.

Ladies and gentlemen, let me welcome you to Gotham City, home of the caped crusader and his outstanding gallery of rogues. Maybe call it outstanding is a little too much considering that from all of those maybe only half a dozen deserve redemption. Among them, a scientist with a cold heart, a woman with a green thumb and a certain jester.

Now, don’t get all excited here, this was not the target for today’s look at one of Sunset’s Many Destinies; I never planned to show you a Gotham City based Sunset, in fact there is no Sunset in this dimension that works on Gotham, she is on Coast City right now so why was the story hijacked again… oh no, please tell me that it was one of Keeper’s crazy antics or maybe Observer doing something drastic, everything except HIM.

Either way, standing and sitting around right now will not help us find an answer to this situation; and look at it in a positive way, we are in Gotham City this time, the house of Batman, Azrael and even The Huntress so I’m positive we will find something interesting to see so let’s go on.

Well, would you look at that, there is something going on right now at one red brick building close to the harbor and non-other than a certain white faced green haired psycho that we know and… well, love is too strong of a word considering the kind of man this is. Seeing the way he looks I must say that we are in a Batman the Animated Series universe. Right now The Joker seems to be on one of his rants about Batman and what he plans to do with him and the city, at his side several guys dressed in non-descriptive clothing, obviously only muscle for whatever operation The Joker planned to do; and of course, we have the red and black garbed woman known as Harley Quinn looking at the psychopath as if he were the amazing thing in the universe. I gotta say, sometimes she sickens me; sadly she haven’t had the chance to wake up like the Harley in the comics.

“Come on Mr. J, you’ll find the way to kill Batman.” Well, seems like we got here in the middle of a conversation, or more like a rant considering the villain. It seems that joker didn’t like her words since he grabbed her face with one of his hands and pulled her to him. Is a good thing she uses white paint because that would definitely leave bruises.

“Is not about killing Batman you idiot! Where’s the fun in a world without the rat? No, this is more than just a killing game; after all, killing doesn’t pay the bills, right guys?” The Joker said with a jovial smile directed to the other men who began to whistle and cheer at the Joker’s words, obviously with the Joker due to a paycheck and fear more than any kind of loyalty. I swear, the only kind of people that can install some sense of loyalty in the common thug are The Penguin and Ra’s al Ghul, and don’t make me start with that last name.

“No, but you have to admit it is a powerful weapon when used correctly.” I knew it, I just knew it. It seems that the Joker and company were as surprised as myself when they turned and saw a man sitting down at the villain’s chair and apparently reading The Gotham Times as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening.

Look, I’m the writer of this story and not even I know how he does this kind of things alright? But there he was, the man known simply as Noche wearing his long dark hair in a simple low ponytail, his half-moon glasses perched upon his regal nose and the sense of calmness and nobility practically oozed out of him. To say that the villain in the building was beyond enraged at this man suddenly usurping his place so he quickly pushed aside Harley and took his revolver from inside his suit before pointing at Noche with it.

“You have quite the nerve to come uninvited to this party.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, didn’t know it was a private one, especially considering the current location being less than optimal for something like that.” Noche said while he kept on reading the newspaper, something inside of it truly had got his attention since he began to read with more detail.

Apparently this was not the correct answer for the Joker as he cocked the revolver’s hammer and then the trigger was pushed. Everything seemed almost as if in slow motion as the bullet traveled through the air and began its path to Noche, before the bullet was stopped in midair by a bizarre cloud tendril.

Noche simply kept on reading not even paying attention to the Joker or anyone’s reaction to what had just happened. The madman with the revolver stood watching for a second before he was engulfed in rage and tried to attack Noche with the revolver’s butt but once he did the swing he felt something strange on his body.

Harley’s scream was the first clue that something had happened and then he saw what was Noche holding on one hand. It was the joker’s arm that had been ripped apart in less than a second with no one seeing how it happened. As the Joker’s was right now in a state of shock, Noche simply stood up as he inspected the arm he had on his possession now.

“You bite your nails? What a tic you have.” He said with the same calm voice as if what had just happened was a routine thing and do I hope it isn’t a routine with him. For their part, all the thugs hired by the joker turned around and began to run away but sadly for them, an Umbrum’s power came from the shadows and none of them were capable of reaching the stairs. I’m pretty sure their corpses will appear tomorrow morning in the Gotham Times.

While the men tried on vain to escape, Noche slowly began to pace around the floor as he threw aside the arm in the direction of Harley who began to scream anew. Noche simply adjusted his glasses and took a long look at the city and the big sign on the sky calling for its protector, sadly the source of that call had nothing to do with the Bat’s nemesis, Noche would have liked to have a battle of wits with the masked man, he felt he had grown dull since the last time he had met with his son.

“You know, when I came to this place I was fascinated by the amount of darkness and the amount of insanity that could reside in just one town. To the old me it would have been nothing more than a simple distraction, but the new me has started to see the appeal of the flesh and blood body I currently reside. Oh, sorry, I guess I began to ramble a bit there, sorry, what kind of a villain would I be if I didn’t do this from time to time?” Noche said almost apologetic as Harley was on the floor in a fetal position, but while Harley cowered in a corner, the Joker simply aimed and in the next instance a liquid flew from the flower on his lapel.

The liquid hit Noche right on his face, he then blinked in surprise as the Joker laughed, but the laughter was short lived as Noche simply used his right thumb to collect the liquid before his face changed from calm to enraged in a blink.

“Is this… acid? Were you truly trying to kill me with acid?” His voice began to increase in tempo and strength, he then put his hand over the Joker’s face and he began to insert his thumb -the finger that had collected all the acid- right into the Joker’s eyeball. Noche didn’t care the way the villain began to trash under his hands, he simply continued pushing as the hissing and screams continued. “Here I was explaining about being a human being and you come and try to kill me!” He all but screamed and then he simply stopped, leaving the Joker as a shell of his former self in the floor as Harley began to sob loudly “Shut up okay?! You are not letting me think!” Noche then took a long deep breathe before he took control once more of himself “Here I was all but ready to show you how much bigger reality is and all the opportunities for people like you and me, but nooooo, you had to be an asshole and try to kill me.

“Look at yourself, you have to understand this, I didn’t do this to you, you did this to yourself. It was your greed Joker, that’s what happened, you let your greed and stupidity run free. And you,” he then tuned around in Harley’s direction as she began to crawl but fast like lightning one shadow tendril took her by the ankle and dragged her back “you truly felt in love with a guy like that? Look at yourself, full of bruises and broken bones, you deserve better, the city deserves better but is people like the Joker that never allow me to bring that good.” He said slightly caressing Harley’s cheek, his eyes showing a rare sign of tenderness.

“You two had so much potential but now it is all wasted, but don’t worry, you will find someone that will take care of you, do you hear me? Just nod if you did.” The terrified woman slowly did so “That’s perfect, now, don’t move, we need an excuse for them to take you with them, I’m sorry for how much it will hurt, the only other I tried something like this was a girl named Katara, and believe me, she feels the effects every day.” He said with a grin showing all his teeth as he put a hand over Harley’s head and then she felt the pain, as if poison had been poured right into her soul and then energy appeared around her forehead; marks looking like clouds pulsating with dark power as Harley fainted due to the pain.

Just as he had done that a new portal opened, one that looked suspiciously like a door materialized on thin air. Noche smiled knowing exactly who the one that controlled portals like that was. In a second the door opened and both a man wearing a three piece suit and an umbrella on his hand appeared accompanied by the same redheaded girl that he seemed to find in every universe.

“My dear Observer, always so impeccably dressed, let me tell you, that grey suit is fantastic.”

“What are you planning Noche? Why are you invading these worlds?”

“Always with the boring questions, why don’t we keep the answers hidden for now, I’m sure that your delightful student will soon find out and if you can, say hello to my son if you find him, we still need to have a long talk about filial obligations.” And then the man disappeared, leaving behind a villain that from now on would spend the rest of his days laughing in a bed on Arkham, but like always, someone would take the mantle of the Joker to maintain order in the world. As for Harley, Sunset took her on her arms ready to start working on the Umbrum infection on her forehead, with some luck she may still survive.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, seemed to be the adventure of today.

It was… interesting, shall we say.

Author's Note:

Yeah... that happened. I'm sorry guys, I wanted to continue our 80's travels but apparently Noche hijacked the story again and spread madness and darkness around. Seems that you guys found out about our villain. As for who noche is, then you better go and read Behind the Broken horn as it will show you exactly who Noche is and what is he doing in the multiverse.

Officially, I finally welcome you to the Nocheverse.
What a way to be introduced, right?

Comments

[badninja]

This will end so well I take it. So Sunset is with the Doctor I take it?

[Shadow Hero]

Sorry about this. Happy 69 chapter... Sooo Sorry!

Great chapter as all ways.

[aceina]

harley needs to get with ivy