The music was deafening. Nadine hadn't expected it to be quite so popping. It was a Thursday night for god's sake, didn't these people have work?

"I really don't know about this, you guys," she said for the tenth time tonight. They all groaned in unison. They all grumbled under their breath and grabbed her wrists and made her keep walking. This time, they weren't even going to try to make her go peacefully.

Getting her dressed was an even more impossible task. Her closet had been very plain. Plain tees, some shorts and tights… there was a wide variety of sweatshirts to choose from. That was until Amanda, the snobby blonde that originally didn't even want to invite her, noticed a box in the bottom of the closet. What she found was a surprise, not even she had things like these. She pulled out dress after dress, each one skimpier than the last. All the girls in the group had screeched and all pulled out their favorite for her.

It was difficult for her to choose which one she would wear. All the dresses were in a box for a reason. They had belonged to her older sister, who had died a few years prior. She was always out and partying, so her dress supply was through the roof. Nadine hadn't even thought about the dresses since she put the box there. After a few minutes of trying them on and seeing which ones actually fit, she decided to wear the vibrant blue one with a black lace over the front half. It was skintight and strapless. She put on a leather jacket to have some sort of modesty. Nadine had never actually worn these in public.

Nadine, with her new found friends, decided that they would go to a club tonight and just party. They decided to go here, because they didn't even need their fake IDs. No one cared if you were under age. Not even the bouncers. It was strange, and Nadine didn't trust that. How could a place not card, and still be open. It was weird and sketchy.

"Guys, seriously! I just need a-" she ripped her wrists out of their grasps, "a second!" she turned around and went into an alley right next to the club.

She heard them grown, and leave. Although one of them stayed behind to make sure she wasn't alone. She ignored their annoyed sighs and skid her back down against the wall until her almost bare ass was on the dirty ground.

"Why is this such a big deal? You're going to have fun!" exclaimed Raphael.

He knelt down to meet her gaze. Nadine rolled her eyes and wrapped her arms around her knees. Not even she knew what the problem was. She had gone to a club before, but it was for 18+, there wasn't any alcohol. And this place… she just had a bad feeling. Something horrible would happen… she just couldn't go inside. Not yet.

Raphael groaned and sat next to her. Nadine took the chance to glance at him. He was wearing a simple black wife-beater with black jeans. His arm facing her was covered in tattoos, running from his wrist to the edge of his neck. The other arm was bare, but Nadine suspected that there were many more, hidden form the eye. His wavy black hair was gelled into a nice arrangement that kept stray hairs out of his eyes. His brown eyes were staring at nowhere in particular. He was probably contemplating how to get this annoying girl into the club without making a scene.

"I'm sorry." Nadine admitted. She wasn't completely heartless, she felt bad that he was waiting for her. She was grateful, she wouldn't want to be out here alone anyway. She didn't where she was in gotham, she hardly even made her way into this city.

"Don't worry. Just… what is the problem? Maybe I can help you." he said, his eyes staying on the building in front of them.

Raphael wasn't usually the type of guy to wait on a girl with cold feet, but something was different about Nadine. She seemed so sure of herself until she was put in the spot. She was the type of girl that sat alone in between classes and studied. But that didn't mean she was antisocial exactly. She just seemed uninterested in everyone else when she was focussing. And her long brown curly hair made its way all the way down her back. She was a unique person. Beautiful, but reserved. It made him curious.

"I just have a bad feeling about this place, that's all. I just need to shake the feeling. You can go inside… I'll be fine." she explained, running her hands through her hair, pushing it back.

Raphael chuckled and said, "Yeah right, you'd either run or get kidnapped. Come on, I promise everything will be okay, alright?"

Nadine looked over to him, her contacts making him perfectly visible. She breathed in deep and decidedly stood up. Her wedges were difficult to balance on, but she was able to get the hang of it. Raphael smiled and stood up with her. He grabbed her hand and guided her to the line. They had managed to get in front of most of the line because their friends hadn't even made it inside yet.

They all greeted them, surprised to see that they had stayed.

"We thought you finally took off and dragged Raphael with you," said Amanda, who was staring at her with daggers in her pupils.

Nadine noticed two of the others in their group roll their eyes, which only made her smile. Nadine had only just gotten to know this particular group of friends. Most of them she hadn't minded, but she can't even remember most of their names.

"Nope, I'm going for it," she said, breathing in deeply. She looked up at the club's neon and obnoxious sign.

Rachel, Raphael's twin, had asked him a bunch of questions in 'private' but Nadine had learned how to listen without looking like it. She was questioning him about her, making sure they didn't do anything in the dirty alley. Raphael repeatedly explained to her that nothing happened, but she didn't look like she was buying it.

Rachel was just as gorgeous as her brother, her black hair was cut at the shoulders and her face was speckled with freckles. It was literally the female version of Raphael. Obviously, she was a protective young woman.

Amanda, the tall blonde wearing pink stilettos and an equally as pink dress only stared ahead of them. Somehow, she had managed to get a dress even shorter than Nadine's. Her black fishnet leggings made her legs even longer. Nadine was always sort of jealous of women like this, but she managed to find Amanda's flaw. Her personality was a bitch. Literally.

"Oh my god, finally! Can you please let me in?" she asked the bouncer as soon as she got to the front.

The bouncer glared, but that didn't stop Amanda from telling him what she thought. The bouncer was still taller than her, and probably weighed more than 300 pounds. All muscle. Nadine had always thought that they were only in movies, but these bouncers were actually huge. She kept her mouth shut and let Amanda speak for them. Eventually, they were allowed inside, and Nadine swears she saw the bouncer smile. Probably happy to not have to hear Amanda talk anymore. If only now Nadine could be granted the same comfort. .

Stepping into the club was also from a movie. There were lights everywhere, Nadine couldn't pin one color down long enough because it would change. The floor was black tile, the dance floor was a series of color changing tiles. Surrounding the dance floor was light stands with strobes. Nadine was sure that she would a seizure if she stared too long. She followed the dancefloor to the glass cage where two girls were dancing with each other. It seemed they were the main attraction. There was a DJ on the stage, but he wasn't as interesting as the pair of exotic dancers. Her eyes continued wandering over and saw a type of VIP area, surrounded by beads dangling from the ceiling. She saw many large men in there, but no one special in particular. She shrugged and decided to stay clear of there.

Rachel grabbed her hand and dragged her over to the bar. The bartender was wearing only red suspenders to cover her abnormally large breasts and a skirt. Her face was bruised, and she had piercings in almost every place that could be pierced. Her tattoos were like cartoons on her skin, they danced from her waist line to the bottom of her chin. She looked like she had a lot of stories, but that was another time, Nadine decided. Not that she would ever come here again.

She ordered a simple fruit flavored drink in a martini glass. The pink drink, topped with salt on the rim and a purple umbrella, tasted amazing. She could tell that the drink was strong. Raphael had tried to talk to her, but the music was so loud, she could barely understand him before he gave up and ordered a few shots for their group.

Nadine rolled her eyes, but continued taking shots with everyone, one after another. Finally, after they had all been satisfied, they decided to go onto the dance floor. Nadine instantly felt uncomfortable. There were so many people, so many bodies that would be touching her. But, to fight herself, she breathed in deep and took another sip of her drink before following them.

At first, she was uncomfortable, being shoved back and forth between random bodies, but eventually she had learned the flow. If she was pushed behind her, she would roll her body into the person in front of her, and vise versa. She had always had good dancing instincts, as far as she knows anyway. Amanda had already gotten lost in the eyes of someone who had two teardrops tattooed on his face. She watched them, Amanda's arms were around his neck, while his face was in her neck, kissing and licking it. While nibbling on his ear, he bit even harder into her neck. .

"Enjoying the show?" Raphael whispered in her ear.

Shocked, Nadine turned and punched him in the tattooed arm. He laughed and looked at her in a certain way. Instantly, Nadine felt the vibe and was deciding whether or not she was interested. Although the alcohol in her system confused her. He was hot, she knew that, and she definitely felt some sort of connection, but she didn't want to be one of those girls who did things like Amanda in public. She had class, and she kept her smile innocent. She told him that she would be right back.

Nadine needed a moment to relax. She walked away from the dance floor and rested her shoulder against a wall. She felt almost too close to the VIP area, but far enough to not be truly noticed.

Nadine watched her friends from afar, and noticed Raphael looked in her direction every few minutes. The rest of them hadn't even noticed she left. These people seemed harmless enough, she hadn't ever been around people who really enjoyed the party life. Now, Nadine wasn't a saint. She had experimented and had her fun in high school. She felt that, now she was living alone and taking care of herself, she had to become more responsible. That meant dropping people who, as far as she could see, was going down the wrong path.

"Please, sit, have a drink."

Suddenly, a man's voice caught her attention. His voice, alone, was intriguing. It was high pitched, but still constant. She didn't turn her head, for fear of being noticed. Now, she was eavesdropping. She secretly loved being able to be a fly on the wall if she needed to. After a few moments, everyone was silent.

"You owe me, sweet cheeks." said the man, with a strange inverted laugh following. His booming voice almost made Nadine jump.

"Please, you know I'll get you back. I'm loyal as all hell!" replied a woman, her voice completely unrecognizable.

Another inverted laugh, "'I'll get you back', you're adorable. Truth is, sugar, that I'm tired of your business anyway. It's lost its funk!"

Who the hell was this guy? Nadine wondered to herself, she decided that he must be some gangster who had been dealing drugs… or other services. Nadine's first instinct was to leave and forget everything she heard. But… her curiosity was the death of her, always had been. She decided to stay and listen, she wanted to know the woman's outcome.

"But Mr.-"

"'But Mr.', 'But Mr.' 'But Mr.'" he was mimicking her, Nadine chuckled to herself, and imagined the woman's face being completely dumbfounded.

"Shut up, girl. I'm tired of you. You'll be leaving now," his voice changed so dramatically, once humorous suddenly changed to demented in an instant.

It sent a chill down Nadine's spine. She heard the girl get pulled away, and her screaming and thrashing about. She heard the man give orders to 'keep her quiet and to not make a mess'.

Nadine blinked and pushed herself off the wall before returning to her friends. She glanced behind her for a moment without thinking. The lights had been dimmer in that area, so she could only see two piercing blue eyes. Nadine sucked in air and turned back around.

Her friends were at the bar again, relaxing after dancing and probably drinking some more. Nadine felt the need to drink something, after everything that she just heard.

Raphael immediately noticed that she wasn't her confident self anymore, and asked her what was wrong now.

To avoid any problems, Nadine decided to keep it to herself. Whatever she had heard, she hadn't seen anything. She would remain blameless for whatever had happened. The only thing she saw was those piercing blue eyes. Not even his face was visible in the bad lighting.

"Nothing… I'm just tired, ya know?" she said, shrugging her shoulder as if it was nothing.

Nadine breathed in and dared look back at the VIP area. She was hesitant and made it look like she wasn't actually looking, but of course her curiosity was a bitch. As slowly as she could, she looked, and saw that it was completely empty. Not even the bodyguards were there anymore. Nadine looked around, searching for the eyes, but couldn't find them. After some hindsight, she decided that was better than finding them and then having to actually speak to them.

They all continued to dance, Raphael trying to get closer and closer to Nadine, and she, having a few more shots, had welcomed it. She wasn't grinding on him, but it was obvious that he was her partner right now. He looked surprised, which caused Nadine to smirk. She liked surprising people with her forwardness sometimes. She wasn't one to react without a care, but tonight, this club, and all the fruity drinks, had moved her body and make it sway to the music.

The lights were giving her a headache, and she finally told Raphael that she needed to sit down. He offered to join her, but she had planned to light a smoke, and didn't want to deal with his or any of their judgement towards her 'awful' habit. She explained to him that she was just going to go right outside in the alley. He let her go, unwillingly, he knew she was going to go either way and without him.

When she was finally outside, she felt the full force of the drinks she had consumed. Her body felt light and heavy at the same time. Maybe it was her head that was heavy and her body that was light? Either way, she turned the corner and stumbled onto the ground and pulled out a cigarette. She stared at it for a moment and she could swear she saw heaven. Drinks made her want to smoke constantly. Unfortunately, this was the only one she had brought.

She sighed and lit the tobacco and laid her head against the brick wall of the club. The nicotine instantly relaxed her head. She could still hear the music that she had just been dancing to through the walls. She closed her eyes and imagined her and Raphael together. They would be the picture perfect couple. But that was the problem, wasn't it? It was picture perfect, there wouldn't be any surprise, no excitement. It would be boring and Nadine just couldn't deal with the stereotypical romance. Even when she was a child, she longed for adrenaline and excitement.

"Nasty nasty habit of yours," exclaimed an all too recognizable voice.

Nadine snapped her eyes open and saw the eyes. They were accompanied by pale/white skin and a creepy wide red grin. His hair was perfectly slicked back and a vibrant green. The green hair was the most iconic thing she had witnessed. It was the Joker.

"What? Don't want my company?" he frowned, making him look scary.

And that's what she was. Scared out of her mind. She couldn't stop her mouth from dropping in awe. There were no words to describe it. She had heard of him through the news, but she hadn't actually thought she would ever speak to him! Especially when she was drunk outside a sleazy club. Although, in hindsight, where else would this madman retire at the end of the day?

"I… No, please, um, I'm Nadine… sir," she said, holding out her hand to shake his.

Nadine automatically scolded herself. Why would she tell him her name? But, still, she plastered a terrified yet welcoming smile.

He laughed and swung his cane to push her hand down. It was gentle, but she was sure there was meaning behind not wanting to shake her hand. She didn't question it and he didn't bother to explain.

"Sir, is not my name. You, my pretty, can call me Mr. J. Now what is a girl…" after over her body, he corrected himself, "woman, like you, doing out here all alone?" he sat on his heels, getting to her level. "You might have some crazy person talk to you."

She felt her lip tremble while he inched forward. "I don't want to smoke in front of my friends… they wouldn't-uh- approve of it, I guess."

"Wouldn't want to upset the whole social scene, now would you?" he chuckled, "I can be your true friend, Nadinnne," he growled her name.

She didn't have anything to say to that. She didn't particularly want to be his friend, but she was sure that their definitions were completely different. He was still so close to her, she could smell the club on him. He smelled like musk and some sort of nasty old cologne.

"You know, friends like to share secrets… Want to hear one of mine?" he smiled, revealing his silver grill.

He was like something out of a movie. His face had Damaged written across the top of it in beautiful calligraphy and anther J written below his eye. She couldn't even imagine the rest of his body. He was a piece of art.

Nadine slowly nodded her head, "yes," without thinking about it.

He quietly growled and his face turned from happy to angry. His hand dropped the cane and grabbed her thick hair behind her left ear and pulled her closer to him. His cheek was on her's and it was… hot. Like he had a fever.

He leaned his mouth in closer to her ear and whispered, "If you ever tell anyone about what you witnessed, it'll be the last thing you say."

Nadine's chest had tightened and she felt cold wash over her body. The heat from his cheek was the only warm part of her. Her lungs had turned into glass and she was so delicate with breathing. She felt like the air was being sucked out of her.

"I didn't see anything, Mr. J. You don't have to worry about me," she whispered back.

He tightened the grip on her hair and pulled himself away as if he was disgusted with her. His face was calmer as he stood, but she could feel the intensity of his warning still.

"Nadine!" she heard Raphael yell as he rounded the corner.

Nadine couldn't take her eyes off of the Joker, but he turned to stare at her companion.

"Oh is this one of your little friends, Nadine?" the Joker laughed as Raphael looked between the both of them.

The Joker picked up his cane and looked down at the curly haired girl beneath him. He smiled and reached his hand out to help her up. She stared at it for a moment before accepting it. She hadn't even realized her cigarette had died out while it was still between her two fingers.

"Friends also like to give gifts, my dear Nadine. I hope you'll accept mine," said the Joker who was staring at Raphael like a meal. Although, it wasn't exactly an option.

"Of course, sir- I mean, Mr. J," she had said as she looked up to him.

He pulled out a piece of tinfoil from his pocket which concealed a small piece of paper with a clown face printed on top of it. Nadine finally looked at Raphael, who was still staring at the Joker, as if he was a roadside show.

"Stick out your tongue, pretty," ordered Mr. J.

Nadine did as she was told, not knowing what he could possibly be giving her. She assumed it was a drug, but it's not as if she could tell him no.

The Joker placed the clown tab on the bottom of her tongue and told her to swallow it in 2 minutes. It didn't taste like anything in particular, it was just cardboard. She was beginning to think that he might be messing with her, that this was only an experiment to him. At least, that is what she hoped.

"What… what did you give her?" asked Raphael, finally finding his voice.

The Joker growled and pointed a finger to Raphael, who only took a step back to avoid him, although he was several feet away.

"You're going to get hurt, putting your big nose into things that don't concern you!"

The Joker's voice was dominant, and it even made Nadine take a step back against the wall. The Joker noticed her obvious reaction of fear. He turned towards her and gently ran his long fingers down her cold cheek.

"Oh don't worry, Honey Bee. I won't hurt you," he had said, ever so gently.

Nadine only nodded.

Still, just as gently, he asked, "Why so serious, baby. Give Daddy a smile, hmmm?"

His hand grasped the pack of her neck. Nadine, with no other choices, placed her hand on the bottom of his forearm, and smiled the biggest and real smile she could give.

The Joker smiled and kissed the top of her forehead. His laugh came when he released her and saw that she was still smiling. She let go of him as well.

"Swallow the tab and don't take off on me tonight. This is going to be so fun." was all he said as he headed into the side door into the club.

Nadine hadn't noticed but she already swallowed the tab. The realization sent shocks of fear throughout her. Suddenly, all the adrenaline from what had just happened had hit her. She was breathing irregularly and fast. She felt arms wrap around her shoulders and she pushed them off in a fury. She turned to see who had suddenly grabbed her, but saw that it was only Raphael. She had completely forgotten that he was even here. She felt tears fall down onto her cheeks while he pulled her into his chest. He was asking questions, but Nadine felt too sick to her stomach to even listen to him.

"I need to throw up… I need to throw up, now!" she screamed at Raphael.

He looked around before bringing her inside. She had squirmed against him, protesting going back inside. They both knew he would be in there to watch her.

"He's going to be watching you either way, so we might as well get inside where he might not be able to hear you!"

Nadine couldn't argue and she felt too weak to fight him. She allowed him to bring her inside.

"Bathroom," was all she said before he started searching for it. It was almost too packed to even be able to move. Nadine felt a sudden beat of strength and pushed herself away from Raphael. She fought and pushed people out of her way so she could at least make it over to the bar. Raphael got lost in the crowd and couldn't find her.

Nadine had reached the bar and from there she could assess her surroundings. Her head was still spinning, while her face was now dry from tears. She was almost too pissed off to deal with being upset. She had to find a bathroom. Her eyes scanned the DJ, behind the DJ, to the girls in the cages, and then to the VIP area. The Joker was nowhere to be seen, so she felt safe enough to ask the bartender where the restroom was.

The bartender pointed to a hallway past the girls. Nadine's shoulders fell in defeat, she couldn't go all the over there without him spotting her. Unless he had been watching the whole time. She couldn't worry about that, she needed to throw up whatever he had given to her before it kicked in. She breathed in deep and went for it. She moved around the dance floor instead, to avoid any unnecessary hazards. There wasn't a line, which she thought was odd, but she did not have time to wonder about it. She entered the room labeled women's and found that it had been locked.

She whimpered and instead went into the men's. She locked the door behind her and ran over to the toilet. It was disgusting. There was still feces still in the bowl, not that she cared at the moment. She shoved two of her fingers down her throat, but couldn't even gag. SHe reached and reached. She even tried to grab onto the 'dangly thing' in the back of her throat. She felt herself crying again and panic was rising. She looked around her and couldn't find anything she could use. She had tried for several minutes, but couldn't manage to throw up. She slammed an outstretched hand onto the ground and cursed.

She ran her hands through her hair and really started to panic. She felt the temperature rising and couldn't tell if she was crying her sweating. The music was deafening in this little porcelain room, even the light was blinking in and out of working. Nadine continued to curse and hit everything around her. The walls she was abusing was bruising her fists, but she didn't notice. She reached the mirror, she stopped herself from breaking it. The words, "Do Not Enter" in black bold marker letters caught her attention. She stared at herself, her curly hair was everywhere. She rolled her eyes and splashed water on her face in an effort to calm her nerves. When the ice cold water reached her face, she suddenly felt much calmer.

She looked back at her reflection. Her makeup was still fairly visible and still made her features look better than usual. She finally noticed red lips plastered on her forehead, but didn't try to wipe it off. It kind of a perfect kiss mark. She was sure that he did that on purpose. A type of mark that claimed her as his personal show for the night. The idea made her blood boil.

"Okay, Nadine. You're going to be okay, okay? Whatever he gave you, you can get through this. Okay? Don't worry." She only stared into her eyes and was mesmerized by the colors of them.

She started to feel a little strange, but it was a gentle type of feeling. She felt like little bugs were all hugging her skin at the same time. She blinked a few times and noticed her pupils had dilated slightly.

And that strange realization had made her start laughing. She couldn't stop. The bugs and the hugs were getting to her. She fell onto her knees and held her stomach because it ached from laughing so much. She felt her head hit the ground but was powerless to stop it. Everything was just so hilarious. She knew that something would happen if she came into the club, but she did it anyway. And guess what? She was drugged by the Joker! Now, she's laying on the ground in a dirty men's bathroom in a dirty club run by a crazy man. If that wasn't comedy, she didn't know what was.

On her back, she stared at the light, flickering above her. She was still smiling, the light was changing colors, every time it blinked. She found it quite entertaining. Then, she heard three loud bangs on the door.

She screamed out, "Who iiiiiiis it?" in a girly manner, trying to be funny.

"Nadine? Is that you?" yelled Raphael from the other side.

Dopamine rushed through her as she ran to open to door. The sudden movement made her feel even weirder than before, her head was light as a feather.

"Raphael!" she said as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

His body felt soft, so she kept holding him. She was sure he was talking to her, but she couldn't seem to focus on him. She was looking at the ever changing colors on the ground.

"Nadine, come on, focus, okay?" he said, pulling her off of him.

She took that as an insult and slapped his arm. He didn't even react, because she started chuckling immediately.

"Are you feeling okay? Let me look at you…" he started to move her face around, inspecting it, as if her face was the problem.

"You always look at me, Raphael. I hate to tell you this, but it's probably not going to happen," she said, staring at his mouth. She was slurring all her words.

Raphael looked dumbfounded and asked, "What the hell, Nadine. Fuck this, I'm taking you home, okay?"

He grabbed her wrist and she squirmed away from him. He turned and grabbed her face with his two hands. He got really close, and said, "You are fucked up, Nadine. I'm trying to help you!"

"He told me to stay here, Ralph, I don't want to piss him off!" she said, pulling his hands off of her.

"He's only playing with you! He wants to see you collapse, Nadine, he's crazy! It's a game! Don't you understand that?" he tried to keep his voice down, but he was getting his point across.

Had Nadine been in her right mind, she would agree with him and she would leave. She would go home and lay in bed until the colors and bugs died down. She would drink a lot of rejuvenating tea and watch tv until she understood what they were actually saying.

But, Nadine wasn't in her right mind, now was she?

"Then I guess I'll just have to try to win his little game, right?" she said in the purest of voices.

Raphael felt defeated and it clearly showed. She felt a pang in her chest and decided to kiss his cheek. It was scratchy and unsatisfying. It was completely different than the Joker's. His had been smooth against her cheek.

She walked past Raphael to follow the colors that the lights were portraying. She reached the edge of the huge group. She felt everyone's euphoria, and she felt the bass of the song vibrate her body. It was magical.

She scanned the area, looking for her playmate, Mr. J. She finally found him on the other side of the room, staring at her from the VIP room. His gaze was intense, but it showed no emotion. He was only watching her with his blue chin was resting on top of cane. She smiled a wide grin and winked at him. In return he smirked and lifted his head. He kept his gaze, even when she turned away to join the large crowd of pests.

She danced without a single care, not even realizing that everyone was watching. She felt the music shake her body, and she felt rough hands grabbing her waist and her stomach. All of which she welcomed and adored. She was receiving so much attention. She didn't look at any of the men in particular, she just wanted to touch and be touched.

"Nadine? What…" she heard Amanda say, next to her.

Nadine erupted in a laughing fit. And worked her way over to the blonde. She was accompanied by the rest of the group, minus Rachel and Raphael. Nadine asked them, "Like what you see?"

Nadine swirled in a spin, and exclaimed, "Dance with me!"

Amanda was dumbfounded. She wasn't used to being the one who wasn't being adored. She rolled her eyes and walked away from Nadine and was followed by the rest. As if Nadine cared though, she had already forgotten she even asked her to dance. She was mesmerized by her hands that seemed to leave a trail wherever they went.

Hours passed and seemed like minutes. Or was it, minutes passed that seemed like hours? Nadine had no sense of time or personal space. She had finally found someone who she really liked dancing with. He was tall, blonde, tan, perfect. His eyes were bluish green, and Nadine was completely taken back by them. They reminded her of… oh, wait. Nadine had just remembered.

She's supposed to be winning the game! She didn't know how to play, or how to win.. If the Joker wanted her to be entertaining, she would blow his mind with how crazy she could actually be.

"You're so beautiful baby, let's get out of here," whispered the unknown blonde in her ear.

His cheek was covered with patchy hairs, although visibly, you could barely see them. Nadine wrapped her arms around his neck and looked around for the Joker. She had no interest in this boy anymore, she only wanted to see him.

She had found him in the same exact spot she had seen him before, the same bored, lifeless eyes poured into her's. Had he ever moved?

Nadine pulled the boy with her closer and started to nibble on his neck, teasing the both of them. She heard the blonde moan, while she saw the Joker snarl. Nadine felt accomplished and continued all the way up to his ear.

She stopped just below it and whispered, "Get the fuck away from me."

She placed her small hands on his chest and pushed him as hard as she could onto the ground, before laughing hysterically again. She found it hilarious that he would even assume she wanted him. Although, the teasing might have helped with that. But screw him, Nadine thought, the only person who had her interest was the Joker.

She looked at him and took a single step towards his direction. He leaned onto his feet, and waited for her company. He smiled his classic Joker smile that both irritated the police force, and made women of all sanities fall to their knees. Nadine giggled to herself, he was smiling all for her. The Joker was…

Wait. What? The Joker? His eyes still poured into Nadine's, and she suddenly felt… hollow. Empty. What could she possibly want with the Joker? He was a madman who killed people for pleasure. He had drugged her, without even a warning. He threatened her life even before that. How could Nadine be so naive?! He had… wait. Nadine understood. He was playing a game with her, but she had already lost. She was enjoying the drug, and she wanted to be around him. He had won.

Nadine looked around and saw she had lost her jacket. Her bare arms were bruised and red. Her fingernails had been bitten off, and her face felt sore… what had she been doing? She couldn't recognize her own limbs.

Nadine spinned on her heels, looking for an exit. She didn't even turn to see the Joker's reaction to her sudden twist. The room was too hot to breathe. If the room was hot, why did she feel so cold inside? She wrapped her arms around her stomach and waist, trying to keep whatever she holding, in. She couldn't vomit here, anywhere but here. She found the door she had entered in earlier. Or was it a whole day ago? How long had she been here, playing his game?

"Move!" she screamed at anyone in her way, she was running towards the exit. She found herself in a dimly lit street, the sun was just coming up. Had she been there all night?

The windows in the surrounding buildings were orange. Or were they purple? Nadine closed her eyes and collapsed in the same spot she had been hours (days?) ago. She was speaking with the Joker… this is where he had introduced himself. This was where he threatened her. Maybe that was why he had done this? Maybe he was punishing her for eavesdropping. She didn't know. The only thing she did know was that the morning air was freezing, and her head was resting on her knees. She didn't know where her friends were, and she barely even knew where she was.

"Hey pretty girl, wanna ride with us?" she heard a man that was walking by ask.

Nadine looked up and saw a young black man, only a few years older, accompanied by 3 other tall black men. They all had the same tattoo on their shoulder, and were staring at her.

Nadine shook her head no, and placed her closed eyes back on her knees.

"Oh, come on, sweetie, we'll treat you right. One at a time," his 'joke' caused his friends to snicker, but the real danger behind his words were lingering in the air.

"No!" she screamed at them, "Leave me alone… please, please, just go away!"

A moment passed and then she heard them all laughing again. They're annoying voices were irritating her, and she felt anger course through her. In every place, she felt anger and rage.

"Come on, girl, stay quiet and we won't hurt you," said another one of the men, who had stepped closer to her.

She looked up and they were all surrounding her, one on every exit she could possibly have. The lights from the sun and the reflective glasses they all wore confused her. Her head was still milky.

The one at her most left made the first move, the one who had originally stopped to talk to her. He reached for her arm and tugged her towards him. She wasn't going to make it easy though. She dropped all her weight and he dragged her slightly on the rough pavement.

Another one of the men had tried to reach for her legs, but she saw him first and kicked him in the side of his thigh. He groaned and dropped down on one knee. The others all moved in unison to get her under control. Before she knew it, she had kicked and thrashed about, and actually managed to make it hard for them. But four men against one girl? She knew she didn't have a chance.

She finally decided to scream, to get someone's attention. No one came rushing for her, no one came at all. She even saw people walking on the streets and ignored the problem. They had her by the waist and was dragging her limp body towards the back of the alley. Nadine had never been forced by another person before. Her confused head was still seeing trails, she wanted to pass out. She didn't want to remember this.

"Knock me out, please, please just knock me out. I don't want to-"

"Oh shut up, bitch. We'll do whatever we feel like and you'll love it." said another one of the men who hadn't spoken yet.

"Please… I can't-"

"I said shut up!" he yelled at her, dropping her momentarily to slap her across the face. The stinging came first, then the throbbing pain from the impact. Her vision turned into black dots, and she smiled.

A gunshot rang, deafening Nadine momentarily. She felt the grip around her be loosened. She took the opportunity to turn to one of them and elbow him straight in the face. She felt the force of the impact, and realized she probably just broke his nose. She was surprised by her accuracy, but didn't question it.

"Oh, shit… Mr. J! We didn't know… we didn't know she was claimed, please, dude, you have to-"

When another gunshot rang out, Nadine dropped onto the ground, and covered her ears. The shot was louder that time. Next to her, she saw the lifeless eyes of the man who had first grabbed her. He had a hole going through his temple. Blood was dripping from the wound, down his cheek, and dripping off the tip of his nose. For a terrifying moment, she felt… happy. He was dead. He couldn't hurt her. She heard two more gunshots before looking away from him. She removed her hands from her ears.

She looked around her some more, the sunlight was finally rising. She saw all their bodies surrounding her, the same bullet wound in their heads. The man whose nose she broke… well, he wouldn't be needing it anymore. When she looked around some more, she saw her rescuer. Of course, he had blue eyes and now messy green hair. He looked menacing, dangerous. But, he had just saved her. She felt weak for a moment, like all of her energy had been drained. Her breathing was normal, as long as that was all she focussed on.

After he holstered his gun, Mr. J walked over to her and kicked over one of the bodies to inspect it. He looked like he recognized them, but he had no sympathy in his eyes. He looked more of… disgusted by them. He kicked him again, adding insult to injury. Nadine, her stomach still on the tops of her thighs, hands on the ground, she stared at him. The sunlight was making a halo around him. She never knew danger could be so beautiful.

That's when he finally looked at her.

"Are you just going to lay in with the dead?" he asked, his voice being calmer than his appearance.

She looked around her again, and the reality of her situation became real. She was lying with a gaggle of dead bodies. She rose, her hands holding her cold arms. While staring at her, the Joker unwrapped his lavender jacket and put it around her shoulders. His fingers rubbed against her bare shoulder for only a moment. His chest was revealed and showed muscle and tattoos. Although, Nadine was too shocked to notice.

She felt… nothing. Her heart beat was regular, her lungs could handle breathing. She was only empty. The inside of the jacket was hot, so she pulled it over her arms. It instantly warmed her skin.

Mr. J started chuckling and said, "Did you have fun, tonight, darling?"

She stared at him. It was the only thing she could muster. His words sent a chill down her spine, something he was getting quite good at.

Without a reply, he placed his hand on her lower back and guided her towards the side door of the club. At first, she was hesitant. She didn't want to go back in there. So many things have already happened inside that building that would follow her for the rest of her life. She looked behind her at the Joker, he was only smiling and gently pushing her towards the door. After feeling a tear brim her eye, she assumed going inside was better than staying out there with all the bodies.

When she was inside, she saw the Joker give one of his henchman a look and immediately he nodded and went outside. He would take care of the problem, no one would even even know how those horrible men died.

"What, rapists got your tongue?" Mr. J started laughing.

Nadine's eyes filled with tears, she blinked to make them disappear, but it only made them fall. Her eyes felt so heavy, Nadine started to feel dizzy. The trail behind her hands were gone, and the music had stopped playing. Everything was so silent, except for the Joker's laughter.

"I need…" Nadine tried to say, her head spinning too much for her to finish.

The Joker groaned and waved her away, as if he was done with her.

Nadine tried taking a step, then another, until she lost her footing. She reached for the wall on her way down, but before her forehead collided with the floor, she felt arms reach around her shoulders.

"Oh, you have turned from fun to annoyance so quickly, Honey Bee," whimpered the Joker behind her while he dragged her to a couch.

The last thing Nadine saw was the pale face of the notorious Mr. J.