The sizzling of burning flesh tickled the still night.

The cries of his new victim were delicious and he felt tingly all over. Sadly, this one was broken now. The acid finally too deep in its own hunger.

A skeletal shadow rose to its full height in the darkness between two buildings and flung its head like a wet dog. He wiped his eyes on the dead guys' shirt and lumbered out into the road and back home.

The trip through the poors was as melancholy as ever. His giddy smile dwindled after just a few minutes, slumping into a grimace as a waft of sick bodies hit his nose.

Disgusting.

He tripped over something...some*one* in the street and the dog gnawing its former owner growled up at him. His nostrils flared, lashing savagely, kicking the dog in the face and stomping the body on the ground. Stupid, sniveling, rat-infested excuse of humanity. He was beyond this, beyond *them*. How dare they force him to live in destitute poverty. Grrr.

His grimace curled into a feral sneer as he opened the door to the crumbling shack. He resisted the pulse inside him that wanted to rip the rotten door apart and set everything on fire.

He closed his eyes.

Breath in.

Breath out.

Footsteps.

"Hey Babyface, er, boss, you feeling okay?"

He snarled, wrestling with himself, before flashing his underling a crooked smile. "Hahahaha. I'm fantastic Kay, fantastic. Thank you." Was he still growling? He unclenched his jaw. "Has Harley brought me anything since I've been gone?" He stepped into the small candlelight, pale skin aglow. The itch under his eyes was unbearable. His eyelids twitched.

"Um, not yet I'm afraid. He said he had a good feeling tho-"

"I DON'T CARE ABOUT HIS FEELINGS."

Breath in.

Breath out.

He closed his eyes.

"Forgive me Kay. I understand your brother places a great emphasis on his feelings."

He opened his eyes, unclenched his jaw.

He smiled, though his voice still trembled.

"You know how I get when I want something, I just can't control it sometimes." He hefted his hands apologetically. His breathing came quick and ragged and his hands curled slowly inward. "The mutt took our brothers, Kay. He took the money. He took everything from us. We can't allow this Kay. We can't let him get away with this."

His eyes blurred again, his smile trembled.

"We can't just let this monster run free Kay."

He felt the tears burning the whites of his eyes.

"I can't let myself rest easy until I BURN HIS EYES FROM THEIR SOCKETS AND EAT HIS DISGUSTING MUTT BRAINS WHILE HE CRIES LIKE A BABY DASHED ON THE WALL" The small room echoed the screeching into his own ears. He felt the scabs on his cheeks being dissolved by the freed tears. Tasted copper as blood oozed out of his chapped lips. Rage exploded when he caught the fear in his subordinates' eyes.

After all they'd been through this little bastard was still afraid. Everything they'd shared together. How dare he. How dare he.

"Do you WANT TO BE FRIGHTENED KAY. DO YOU NEED SOMETHING-"

A ragged gasp tore from Kay as he unsuccessfully dodged a long swipe. He tore at the bloody fingertips biting into his wrist, but those hands were like iron.

Babyface forced Kay onto the ground, face-up. Gibbering incoherently, he pinned him down with misshapen hands and knees. Kay was gasping, averting his eyes. Where were the others?

A drop wet his cheek. White, hot fire seared nerves as the skin was eaten away.

Drip. Drip.

The smell of his own flesh cooking.

The door to the small room slammed open. A thick boot lowered to the ground as the newcomer entered the room calmly. "Boss. Get off Kay."

Blood, acid and his own real tears mingled on the dirt floor as Kay wept openly. His brother's appearance elicited both relief and shame, and he squirmed out of Babyface's disgusting hands. He fled to the interior of the house.

"Kay, I'm so sorry. Kay forgive your big brother. Kay do yoU HEAR ME!" Babyface trembled violently as the young man scrambled away, but Babyface didn't follow. He knew Harley wouldn't let him kill that little-

"Boss. Get control of yourself"

Babyface's sickly limbs curled under him as wracking sobs rocked him. He shrieked and sobbed and choked on his own blood. Finally, the room fell silent.

"I already brought you something to play with tonight, boss B. Why are you hurting Kay." Harley moved slowly and dabbed the open wounds on the scarred face.

"He was looking at me like I was a freak Harley. I'm not a freak. I'm not a freak." His voice thick with emotion as he repeated himself over and over.

"Kay doesn't think you're a freak big guy, he looks up to you. We all do. You can't hurt people who look up to you, we're your family." Harley kept the irritation out of his voice, but he was thankful the other man was still closing his eyes. "Alright, we're back buddy. You got this, you're ready."

"Ready for what?" The tall figure rose up to his full height and shook his head like a wet dog. The pitted wall gained a few more holes as his tears splattered and hissed. His eyes opened wide. "Did you find him. Did you find the monster that broke my pets."

"I just watched him walk into the Cakewalk Inn on the other side of town. I left some guys to tail him if he left but they ain't gonna touch him. They know he's yours. Let's go get him, huh?"

Seven feet of pale, scarred flesh hopped on two feet, giggling giddily. "Let's go, let's go, LET'S GO!"