Hello there readers. This is my new Joker story, i know i have a few, and alot i have forgotten about but i can promise this wont be one of them! It is a very interesting concept, and i feel i've progressed sooo much more as a writer that this story will actually have an interesting part with believable characters! YAY FOR GOOD WRITING! Anyway, this is Joker/OC, of course right? Takes place after TDK blah blah blah. Anymore questions? Read and they will be answered. Still got more questions? Review and i would LOVE to answer them. And please guys, reviews would be AWESOME to let me know what you think, please?

Enough of that, let's get to the story!

Disclaimer: This is for all chapters onward. I own nothing but the plot, and my OC. Everything else goes to DC comics.

In nineteen minutes, you can mow the front lawn; color your hair; watch a third of a hockey game. In nineteen minutes, you can bake scones or get a tooth filled by a dentist; you can fold laundry for a family of five. In nineteen minutes, you can stop the world; or you can just jump off it.
-Nineteen Minutes

Vibrant red curls bounced through the crowd, weaving their way through the usual mob of people that lined the streets of Gotham at five in the afternoon. Rushing past the traipsing toddler and the business man screaming relentlessly into the cell phone at his ear, she knew she'd never make it there on time. Just her luck, the one day she was genuinely trying to make it to work on time, and fate would have a way of halting her plans. Growling in frustration and anxiety, she clutched the light sweater tighter to her petite frame and pushed her way onward, ignoring the dirty looks and nasty comments thrown her way.

Only four blocks away held her destination, a local gem in fine dining: Martha's. It was a quaint place, bleach white tablecloths, fine china, dimmed lighting. Toss in a quarter of a million dollars and this place became the centre for locals to get there food, and feel like upper class for doing so. She was a waitress there, had been for the last six months now. But with her reoccurring tardiness, the managers were on their last frayed nerve. She knew that if she didn't get to work, and fast, she's be joining the many swarms of unemployed that scoured the city for jobs.

Her feet kept moving, the black sneakers only becoming more worn from the ever-present smack of the pavement, and her heels began to throb slightly, adding to the growing tension and discomfort coursing through her body. She really didn't want to get yelled at again today, she wasn't sure she had it in her to take it. Whether she'd break down into tears, or spew venom; she wasn't quite sure.

Finally, only one block left, and an exasperated smile found its way on her lips as she broke out into a near sprint, her white dress shirt coming half untucked from the confines of her black dress pants.

A deep screeching filled her ears, her feet slowing their race as she turned to the commotion, along with everyone else crowed on the sidewalks. Down a ways, four or five blocks from where she was standing, a line of busses had abruptly slammed on their brakes. And for no apparent reason at that. The road ahead was as clear as it could be, no obstacles in its path.

But there was a stillness in the air, a stale coldness that seemed to envelop the scene and everyone witnessing it. Nobody moved from those buses, the doors never opening. And as they remained frozen, clogging the streets just outside the business sector of Gotham City, it finally donned on her the severity of the situation, or at least the peculiarity in it. And not in a good way.

Most of those around her had only briefly taken notice in the stopped busses, continuing on their way, but as she kept her gaze transfixed on the boggling scene, she could help but notice a sinking feeling of dread settle in the pit of her stomach now as a few stray police officers made their way towards the busses perplexed.

It all seemed to happen so fast.

There was a soft click, discreet but audible. And then there was a giant explosion of bright oranges and sickly yellows. A great wave of stifling hit spew out across the street, rocking people off their feet and smashing windows in a symphony of shattered glass. She crouched to the ground fast, covering her ears but keeping her gaze back on the now smoldering busses as screams and cries rang through the air. In its initial combustion, each bus going off at the very same instant, every window from the third story down seemed to shatter, and those buildings closest were ripped right through to the other side, or so it seemed. Giant gaping holes were left in the what had previously been the first few floors.

Sirens seemed to go off almost instantly, fire trucks and ambulances making their way to the scene. People still stayed close to the ground, afraid that it would happen again, or afraid that they'd be the next one's hit as debris began falling from the spots more damaged.

This was the most shocking, most surprising, most dangerous incident she had witnessed in what seemed like a life time. The streets were working their way to clean again, the police force seemed to be somewhat untarnished, and the mob had too many of its hands tied at the moment to really pose any significant problems. Hell, the only thing this city really had to keep a handle on was keeping that crazy clown locked up in his straightjacket back in Arkham where they placed him a good three months prior.

But the one thing this city wasn't was reliable.

Questions were being shouted to the sky, accompanying the crying and the frenzied conversation that had sprung when the explosion occurred. In hushed whispers, people spoke the things they feared not say out loud, as if speaking their thoughts would make them come to life. Either there was a new super baddie out on the loose, or the old one got out. And neither idea wanted to be entertained, she herself was too afraid to really come up with an explanation at the moment.

And yet, she had yet to be consumed. That fear, that worry that seemed to eat up the rest of the crowd, or at least most of them had yet to affect her, and she took in every miniscule detail around her with a calculating gaze. She stayed silent, not once screaming or crying or hell, even panicking really.

She just absorbed it all.

She took it in with gentle strides, processed the information and let it sink in. It wasn't that she was in shock, or that this event wasn't fucking monumentous, but that she'd seen a lot in her days of living in Gotham City, and knew the risks when she signed up for it.

There was nothing she could do about it now, and no point crying over spilt milk.

Rising slowly from her crouched position, the pavement leaving thin scrapes against the palms of her hands, she got to her fit, swaying slightly as she gazed once more at the line of buses alight in heated flames. She turned quickly on her heel, heading off into the opposite direction, along with a number of other individuals who had began to make a mad dash elsewhere, only she now held a sense of composure in her movements, readying herself, it seemed, for an attack at any moment. It was now her turn to get pushed and shoved in every which direction as others scrambled to get away.

Another cluster had formed, and she was hopeless to get past it without being torn apart. So instead, she steered left into a rather small side street, big enough for one car, maybe two if they were small enough. It wasn't too long, and opened up to a similar road on the other side. Normally, ally's wouldn't be her destination of choice, but really, what did she have to lose? Any criminal would have taken off like all the rest, and the fact that the sun still remained high in the sky gave her enough confidence to take a quick breather before fighting her way to work.

At least now she had an excuse now, right?

Closing her eyes, she just listened, let the sounds of the street consumer her. She heard the sirens of the police cars as they got louder, heard the trucks come by, as well as the ambulances. She wondered, briefly, how many were hurt in this catastrophe, but quickly shook the thought away, not really wanting to know such a gruesome fact. Most had been ushered away, into trucks and to hospitals. Now, as the water pelted the burning buses, she began to hear the regular noises of the city, on a much smaller scale. Cars were driving somewhere far off, life still going on in all its normalcy. She took this as her cue to finally leave.

But something held her back before she could even finish the thought.

Opening her eyes slowly, using her foot to kick off from the wall she had been leaning against, she walked a few feet more into the ally, scanning every detail through her eyes. She couldn't place it, but she had this distinct feeling of being watched, being preyed upon, and it didn't sit right with her. But when a cat broke out from beneath a wooden grate, scurrying past her at lighting speeds, she only laughed slightly, spooked at the sudden outburst, before turning back quickly, ready to get out and back to reality.

Finally free of the worry and fright that entangled her in the ally, she began her trek to work, but not before one more sparing glance down the forgotten side road.

She had to squint slightly to even make sure what she was seeing was true.

At the very end, down by the entrance at the other side, some two hundred yards away, with a large coat and a pale face stood a man with deep dark eyes that seemed to bore inter her and make her cringe. And in a blink, he was gone.

She stood there for a few more moments, studying the ally in deep confusion as if she had really seen anything, or if it was merely a figment of her imagination. Deciding on the latter, but not wholly convinced, she shook the thought from her jumbled mind and strode down the last block to meet her nights plans.

Minutes after she ambled through the doors, deep laughter erupted that signified the beginning of so much more.

How did I do guys? Believable? Please let me know how I did, and if you are interested in me continuing this story. I really want to, and i really want to give you guys nice long chapters to read too! But without motivation, i can only go so far. So please, leave me a little review(: I don't mean to sound whiny but I love feedback, so i'd appreciate it if you took your time to review.

As always, I leave you untill the next update, which, with your help, will be very soon.

Adieu.
TheJoker'sGotMyHeart