A/N: This is my very first story that I have actually made up, typed together, and became brave enough to send it somewhere for others to read. EVER. I think I'm a terrible writer, so please don't laugh if it sucks, because I'll cry. I'm very sensitive and am regretting at this very moment that I ever sent it. *slams head on desk !!__!!* Comments make the sun rise!!--But be gentle! I bruise easily. ),8 Oh, and it's un-beta'd so I'm sorry in advance if it's OOC. Remember: It's my first. I don't know what the hell I'm doing. :)

Heehee heheh hahahaha heehee heheh hahahaha heehee heheh hahahaha heehee heheh hahahaha heehee heheh hahahaha heehee heheh hahahaha heehee heheh--

The Joker snapped his eyes open with a gasp, struggling to breathe. Something was wrong. Something was very wrong. Even for his standards, he knew this shouldn't be right.

His body's first impulse was to run before his mind could register what was going on. He fidgeted wildly in vain against the restraints which seemed to hold him tightly in place everywhere. But he only succeeded in wiggling a little and letting out a feral growl of frustration. He thrashed his head around but it hardly did anything for it was securely fastened to something he couldn't see. But it was heavy. Still, he tried to get free for what seemed like another 10 minutes with the same results.

His eyes searched around the room madly for an escape and was rewarded with none.

The Clown was breathing heavily from panic and lack of success, allowing his mind to sluggishly catch up to this new scenario. Don't like being held down were his first coherent thoughts. No, nonono being held down is bad. Very bad. Very very bad. Must get up, must go. Must get out. Out, out.

Not wanting to admit defeat, the Joker gave one last long struggle (clawing, biting, anything) for freedom before relaxing and taking in the surrounding area. His panting and the creaking of wood and metal were the only sounds he was greeted with.

The room was small, dark and filthy. It wreaked of rotted flesh mixed with stale urine and feces. There were no actual visual lights anywhere yet he could see nearly everything in the little room. There must have been a hidden light source somewhere. The walls were glistening with something slimy. Probably the cause for the smell Joker mused. He tried to distort his face to get a better look at his own restraints. What he saw caused the slight unconscious constriction in his stomach to grow.

First, it silently dawned on him that he wasn't wearing his coat or inner jacket. And they took my gloves. Why do they always take my gloves?

Then he noticed he appeared to be sitting in a chair that looked like it came straight from a Marilyn Manson video. His legs were slightly elevated like sitting in a dentist's chair. Nearly every part of him seemed to be strapped down; forearms, upper arms, thighs, cnemis, ankles, chest, shoulders and neck. Well, that would explain the lack of moo-vement. He giggled. The only thing that seemed free to move was his wrists. He let his fingers wander to wherever they could touch a surface. Not a whole lot, it seems. The Clown discovered that on both sides of the hand rests there were about 5 buttons within reach. He began to fidget. His fingers itched with anticipation over them. He bit his lower lip hard enough to draw blood to try and restrain himself from seeing what happens if any or all the buttons were pushed. Heheh! Don't wanna know what happens before the game starts!

His breathing ceased for a moment. He recoiled his hands into fists immediately and became rigid. Wait a minute. Why did I think that? What game? How do I know any of this?

The thought was fleeting, and the second it left he forgot about it and went back to study the most obvious thing about the chair...which were six of the most disconcerting things that seemed to scream 'no hope'. Both his knees, elbows, and ankles looked like they were about to be crushed by some of the nastiest looking spikes ever created from metal. Sensitive joints hovering between rows upon rows of sharp jaws patiently waiting to be devoured by the inevitable. By the way he was strapped down, there was no way in hell he could even think about sliding out from them. Not that he really wanted to, for they seemed to hold a sickening fascination in the madman's head. He licked the corners of his mouth and stared at those gadgets in awe, like a child seeing a magic trick for the first time. A great part of him wanted them to grind down and reach home, just to feel what it's like. However, whatever sanity he had left miraculously dominated his reasoning and prevented it to go any further. It kept annoyingly saying These joints are important. If they are irreparably damaged, how are you going to have any fun? Not wanting to argue the matter with himself right now, he dropped it. Didn't forget it, just let it go 'till a later time.

He couldn't explain it, but the Joker found himself unable to stare at the 'teeth' anymore without getting a sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach that kept growing the more he learned. So he switched his attention to briefly become aware that wires seemed to be attached to the chair and devices on both sides. But, that was short lived when his temper fuse shot through the roof (so fast it would've put a certified bipolar to shame) when he became frustrated with the thing constricting his head movements. He snarled and tried desperately to grab at it. After a few tugs at the restraints which he so evidently forgot about, he tried biting it. When that obviously didn't work, Joker then tried to at least strain his eyes to get a better look at the 'head-cage'. He didn't learn much, aside from the fact the more he thrashed against it, the bigger headache was received in return. He did, however learn that the top was a sort of groove to his head and the bottom was a pain-in-the-ass bar.

Any other time or place for this sort of treatment, and the madman would probably get off on all of it with such joy.

But not now. Not here. Not like this. Not anymore. It...it was all too surreal and yet...

All too familiar.

He flinched at another fleeting memory that he knew he kept buried deep inside somewhere when this one was a little stronger (and lasted longer) and decided he had had enough of looking at this room and his shackles and just wanted to remember how the hell he got here. He shook his head as best he could to clear his mind and forced himself to just relax and go back to what lead to this. He licked his lips again.

Ooookay, okayokayokay. O-Kay. Juuuuust calm down. Relax. He snorted at this. No but, seriouslyyy...Got to think. Thinkity-think back. He closed his eyes to drown out the room and let himself take a little trip to the past. Gotta remember. Have to. Have to go back. But not there, not that back. This back. Before this happened. What, was I doing? Was I doing anything? Yesyes. Always doing something. Have to do something. Can't sit still--no, sitting still is bad. Very bad. Schemers sit. Sit and plan. Hate schemers...

Wait. Where was I? Wait. Where am I? Now. Where am I now? Not in that suffocating room. That soul-sucking room. Nono, more space. Air. Oh, wonderful air! Free space to run! Play! Do what I like! Can't get that in that room, no sir. But...where am I? IIII'm innn...open streeeets, yes! Oh what fun!!--Oh ho! Wait a tick, I'm not alone. Someone is with me. Correction; something is with me. Dark. Brooding. Beautiful. Feels similar, alike....who is, who is---YES.

Batsy.

My Batsy.

Aaaaaannd, hahaha!! We're playing!!

We're playing tag and he's it!!

Joker was right.

In a way.

~~*~~

He hadn't seen Batman in a while. Joker had been busy on his own musings, while Batman's attention had been drawn solely on these new bazaar murders. A serial murderer whose name hadn't been clarified yet was killing people in the most horrendous ways. Although all the victims seemed to be thieves, mob men, rapists and the like, that still didn't give him the right to take them and torture them to the limits only to end up killing them for no reason. They all had been strung up in peculiar ways. None of them made any sense, until they found out who the individual was, then strangely they all made sense. Each scene fit the personality traits of the victim. Example was if one was a rapist, the scene completely revolved around his hands in a violent and graphic way.

Another odd thing, however, was that at every scene, there had been a tape or video recording of the same voice taunting the individual with veiled threats of 'playing a game' to 'redeem themselves' for their sins. Each recording explained how the 'game' will work, and what they must do in order to survive. None of the solutions were even remotely pleasant, nor successful; so far there have been no survivors.

They all failed the game.

The Joker had been slightly aware of these murders and knew the press called him something that had to do with puzzle pieces, or cheese, or whatever. He didn't give it all that much thought because quite frankly, he didn't care. To him, this amateur was no match for someone with his talent. And the more chaos, the merrier.

But, he could tell when something was bothering his Batsy, and when it didn't involve himself, it upset him. He didn't like an even more moody Batman, so he decided to try and cheer him up and lighten his spirits.

They had run into each other and Joker could tell he had taken Batman off guard when he found out he hadn't killed, hurt, or blown anything up, but instead just came to seek him out. Because he missed him. He wanted to see him.

And play a game.

A harmless game, to boot.

When the madman dodged all the Rat's accusations and just ran up and 'tagged him' then turned and ran away expecting him to 'get it and follow', Batman stood stunned and blank for a few moments before he turned and followed suit.

HAHAHA!!! His face was priceless! Wished I had a camera to take a picture for the Album!!

Now, this was just what the Prince of Crime wanted. And, as much as he loved the chase, he wanted to make it a little more complicated. So he ran down into an indoor parking lot, whooping and shouting all the way to make sure Batman doesn't lose track of him too much. Oh, he was having so much fun, dodging this way--turning that. Duck and jump over people's cars (occasionally setting off an alarm), hiding here, sprinting there. But only after he realized that the Batman was nowhere in sight, he slowed down to an eventual jog, then walk. His laughter and good humor was still apparent, but it was clear he was a little more agitated that Batsy wasn't 'following the rules'.

"Oh, Batsyyyy! Come out, come out, and find me lover!!" No response. "Come on, Ratman! You better try a little harder than that, or else I'll get bored!! And you know what happens when I get boooored..."

The Clown clicked his tongue and became disappointed and upset, when he heard a sound that resembled a rustle of a cape. He smiled like the Cheshire Cat, sliding his tongue suggestively over his bottom lip. When he sauntered over to where he knew Batman was, he purred "Oh Batsy. You're not very good at this game, are you? Tsk tsk tsk. That just won't dooo! Gonna hafta re-educate you in the uh, rules of tag! Ha. See," He twirled his wrists like a drunk conductor with an off-key band. He was ever closer, almost within reach when a devilish look overtook his features. "The rules of the game are simple. I, tag you. Then! You, have to follow me everywhere I go until you catch up...like uh, this...and TAG." He reached his hand out slowly in front of him and touched the shrouded figure in the shadows, then retreated his hand back a second later when he heard a set of footfalls in the opposite direction. Familiar heavy ones. Determined ones. Ones, that sounded like they were walking away.

Joker frowned, and turned back to the dark form he thought was Batman, when that too had disappeared. He licked his lips nervously and twitched his fingers. He looked around, bewildered at how strange this game had suddenly become. Not that he didn't mind strange, it's just this felt...wrong, somehow. The air felt thick and heavy. Uncomfortable. He turned on his heel and moved quickly towards the second sound. "Uh, hey Batsy! Uh, you should really get your Bat-sensors checked cuz I'm uh, not over there! You gotta come this--"

And he never got to finish that sentence. For in the next couple of moments, a dark figure slammed the Joker's body to the wall roughly, then before he could struggle in protest, a sharp excruciating pain wafted through the back of his neck and instantly to the rest of his body. He had enough time to let out a yelp, before he slid to the ground unconscious. But before the world became black, he strained for one last look at his assailant...and...

Saw it was a pig.

A long haired pig.

Oh my God...

Miss Piggy got me in the end!!!

He would have laughed then, and for all he knew he did, but the world quickly became blackness. Nothingness. Then all was madness. Mechanical laughter rang through his body, high-pitched an fast, causing his heart to race, then--

~~*~~

I woke up and was here.

He jerked back to the present when he heard a loud static sound. Eyes flew open and searched for the location of the noise. It came from a TV to his left. His heartbeat quickened and became more panicked when he realized he had never noticed the TV there before. Because it wasn't there before, I'm sure of it. I remember everything in this room, and you were not here before.

It sent another uncomfortable twist to his gut at the thought that something was put in this room without him knowing. The feeling only got worse when the image on the screen became more visible.

At first all he saw was a white face. Then the other features came in; black and red eyes, swirly cheeks, black hair, sharp features, tailored suit.

It was a puppet...

who looked surprisingly like a clown.

Joker couldn't breathe. Couldn't move. Couldn't think or speak. He just stared at that painted face. That familiar face. That face that only haunted him in his dreams. Buried deep in the back of his mind, lingering. Stalking. Waiting. Scheming. Anticipating this reunion, as he said he would.

Suddenly, a wave of memories and feelings crashed down on him all at once. All those nightmares he had locked behind for good had finally cracked open and pounded on him relentlessly. Too much at once, and none of them are coherent. Just when one leaves another more painful one replaces it. Just one big mess of pain, screams and despair. His mind was breaking down before him, and he could do nothing to stop it.

All the other times it happened he was able to just swipe it under the rug and move on.

He has nowhere to go now. The horn's been blown. The demons have come back. Time to face the music.

Joker shook uncontrollably at what he feared was coming next. What the thing would say. What it would do to him this time.

His scars stung at the thought of another one of those 'games'.

And that's when those two feelings he hated more than any other overwhelmed him. Suffocated him. Ate him whole.

Helplessness, and despair.

The goddamn yin and yang to all his problems.

There was no escape this time.

"Hello again, Joker. It's been awhile."

That voice! That guttural possessed voice!! No!!! Not again!! Nononono!!!!!

"Oh God......I know you..." How do I know you?!

His breathing became labored. He whimpered; it was too much. He felt he would explode at any moment. Everything hanging on a thread; And the thread is unraveling.

Please someone! Anyone! Come get me! Get me outta here! I need to get out now!! Please!! Help me! Notice I'm gone! Can't go through this again, I won't make it this time!! For the love of God don't have him say it! Not that! Anything but that! It's all over if he says it! I don't wanna die this way!! Not this way! Pleasepleaseplease don't have him say---

"I want to play another game."

The Joker let out a blood-curdling scream again and again in response.

--So began the downward spiral.--

Heehee heheh hahahaha heehee heheh hahahaha heeheeh heheh hahahaha heehee heheh hahahaha heehee heheh hahahaha heehee heheh hahahaha heehee heheh hahahaha heehee heheh hahahaha....

(A/N: The devices used on the Joker are actual Medieval torture devices. The one around his head is called 'The Head Crusher'. Mainly used to get information out of the victim. The torturer turns a crank from the top, crushing it down. First the teeth shatter, then the eyes pop out. Soon follows death. If the torturer stopped in the middle of it, he would leave the victim permanently brain damaged. The ones around his elbows, knees and ankles is called 'The Knee Splitter'. What this instrument accomplished was to permanently render the knees useless, damaging nerve tissue and popping the bones out of there sockets. It was also used for other body parts such as elbows and lower legs. Some of them were even heated to help burn the flesh. The amount of spikes varied from three to over twenty.)