Note: When Joey walked to school in the last chapter he walked with Chloe since he met up with her half way...and they are not dating...not unless you leave a review or something;)
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The Joker had risen early that morning after he had spent the night trying to deal with the loss of his sister and recruiting new goons along with trying to find a new hideout.
He was now sitting in the drivers seat of his van and speeding away towards his nephews high school.
His own memories of his education days were bleak. Part of him that had held that protective streak for Joey's mother now held a streak for the boy himself, and he hoped that Joey wouldn't have such a bad time in school. Then again why should he care? He was probably going to end up taking and breaking the boy anyway.
He parked a block away from the school and looked out of the windows. Students were walking to school and parents and old people were out gardening since the sun had decided to grace Gotham with is presence.
The Joker couldn't help but think of his own teenage years.
They had been abusive, that he could not deny. But it did have it's good times...or people anyway...
Flashback
Jack Napier was sixteen years of age and even though his home background had its troubles, his brown eyes had a spark of amusement in them.
Grace, his friend of over twelve years was telling him her opinions on the football team again and adding her own sound affects and voices. She always kept him entertained and laughing and she was very nice to his sister Angela. Grace treated her as if she were her sister.
"And that is why those idiots should all be in kindergarten" finished Grace.
"Interesting" said Jack.
"Well if it isn't Jackie boy!" exclaimed a voice from behind him.
Jack knew exactly who this was, he knew that voice from anywhere. He turned around slowly, looking at the ground the entire time. "What's wrong man?Are you okay?" asked Stinger with fake worry in his voice.
"Mouth" he said knowingly to the person in front of him and raising his eyes from the ground for a second before being punched full force in the jaw.
The boy that had thrown the punch was dark haired with gray eyes. The boy beside him was pure blonde with light green eyes, and you could tell by first glance that he wasn't the sharpest spoon in the shed. Stinger.
Oh great, thought Jack, holding a hand to his now bleeding nose.
"Leave him alone!" shouted Grace, but she was being held back by some of the other boys. She struggled and struggled but it was no use. And in her mind she vowed that if she were to have a child, they would be raised to fight this type of thing.
Jack started to stand up but Stinger knocked him to the ground again with a sharp upper cut.
Blood spewed from of Jacks mouth as he hit the ground again. He could hear Grace screaming in the background.
The boys around him began to kick him very hard and spit on him. The boy on the ground tried to shield his head and curled up. Each kick was agony and each breath was torture.
When the boys got bored they just said "This pussy is boring" and walked away, leaving the broken teenager lying and the ground bloody and beaten.
"Jack!" cried Grace as she ran over to him. She knelt beside him and rested his head in her lap. "Something has to be done" she said, mostly to herself.
Jack just gave a moan in response.
Purple was beginning to form around his eye and his face was covered in blood.
"Come on" said Grace, trying to get herself and her friend to stand up.
She put Jacks arm around her shoulders and began to walk him to the caretakers shed. She refused to believe in the nonsense stories. How can someone die from that furnace? I mean how can anyone fit in it?, she thought to herself as she half dragged her friend to cover from the bullies.
Once inside, she put him sitting on one of the boxes and said "I will be right back, don't move"
Jack left out a feeble laugh and mumbled "How can I?"
Grace frowned and left.
She came back later with her bag a bit more full from what it had been that morning.
"Okay lets exam the damage" she said in a sorrowful voice and kneeling down in front of him. She gently put her hand to his face and moved it to one side, examining it.
He flinched at first but let her look him.
Grace spent the next while cleaning her friend up with alcohol wipes and water. She had to bandage his arm and stop his nose from bleeding too. When she had finished she made him drink a bottle of water and pulled one out for herself.
"You should head to class" Jack pointed out as they heard the class bell sound again.
"Nah, I'm sure I can skip another day" said Grace with a smile.
"I hope it's not for me"
"Don't worry, relax"
"What about Angela?"
"I'll bring her to my place if you want?" offered Grace, forever trying to help him.
"Thanks...when my parents see this...I don't want her to be caught in the crossfire, you know?"
"Yeah" said Grace in a weak voice.
She knew all about what Jack and his sister had to cope with. She was the only one outside their house that knew, really. When they had first met she had seen the new bruises forming on his arms and how he would flinch if she touched him. Until finally he came to school with a black eye. Grace demanded the truth and when she got pushy, she REALLY got pushy. But Jack trusted her and she had kept the secret this long.
"Thanks...I could use someone like you at home" he joked.
Grace knew that he covered his negative emotions with humor and it sometimes worried her. In face everything worried her! The scars that his parents were inflicting upon him and his sister, the humor, how he wouldn't be able to pay attention sometimes in school. She wanted to protect him. It was a motherly instinct that was already over powering her.
"You take Angela and I'll follow you over to your house later okay?" Jack said.
"Sure"
"And here" he added handing his phone over "Text her to say the she will be going to your place after school"
Grace took the phone and began to text.
End of Flashback
Yes. His teenager years had been horrific. And they say that your teen years are meant to be the best of your life the Joker thought with a scoff.
At that moment he saw a brunette boy walking past the van with a red a haired girl.
Bingo
The Clown Prince watched his nephew walk up the street and talk to his friend. He also noticed that the girl looked vaguely familiar but refused to believe it.
Today he wasn't wearing any of his trademark face-paint and instead wore a hat with a scarf.
Haha take the F out of scarf and you figure out what I'm trying to cover up, he thought and smiled under the scarf.
He got out of the van and began to follow the two minors.
When he reached the school wall he stopped and looked around. He noticed that it was his old school that he was standing in front of. Memories flooded back and he pushed them aside when he noticed Joey and his friend going their separate ways. A few minutes after the girl had disappeared two boys walked up to Joey.
He saw the whole thing happen, one of the boys (both oddly familiar) pulling him into the shed.
The shed.
No. I will not think about any of that! The Joker argued with himself.
He followed the children to the shed and hid near an old tree that was beside the old dilapidated building. He peaked in through the dirty window and made out the figures of the two bullies and his terrified nephew.
Nephew he thought, still trying to come to terms with it.
He peaked again and this time he noticed the red haired girl from earlier hiding behind the wall of boxes. Her hand was covering her mouth and she seemed to be speaking, In a low voice by the way that her eyebrows furrowed.
Whatever she was saying was scaring the two bullies away and the man with the scarf couldn't help but smile at this young girl. She was saving Joey from a beating and using her brains to do that,which in the Joker opinion,was a rare thing these days.
The boys ran out the door and left Joey standing their looking at them with terrified eyes He then turned to face the boxes with wide eyes.
The red haired girl started to walk into view and ended up standing right in front of Joey which blocked the Jokers view of him.
He growled in response and went to the next window, still trying to keep out of view.
The Joker had been waiting for over an hour. He had played with his knives and guns while waiting. He was now playing with his cards when he noticed two figures heading towards the shed. He took a closer look and upon closer inspection he noticed that it was the girl from earlier and Joey, who was bleeding and a bit weak.
He watched as they stood in front of the shack and headed towards the corner of the building to get a good look, while still trying to stay out of view.
The girl seemed to be trying to say something which began to piss Joey off but she agreed with whatever he was saying. She left him soon after and Joey sat down on the same box that he had sat on all those years ago.
Now was the time.
The Joker crept in through a side door to the place and ended up behind the boxes. He was about the creep over and get another look at Joey but accidentally tripped on something that made him walk into the boxes and swear loudly.
There was no way that Joey DIDN'T Notice that so the Joker decided that now was the time to confront his nephew.
He walked forward and looked at the frightened boy straight in the eyes.
"Oh my God" the boy breathed.
"Don't ...uh...tell me that you honestly...uh...believe in him after all that you...eh...have been through"
"What?" asked Joey.
"Hm...whats wrong?Orphanages make your IQ drop?"the Joker teased with a smile.
"How do you know that?" asked Joey taking a step back.
"You wanna get rid of those bullies?" the man in purple pressed.
This caught Joey short. How did he know these things? Then again he DID want the others to be cut from the picture permanently.
"I DON'T KNOW! Joey roared. He didn't know how are why he did. He just did it. He quickly ran out the door and left the Joker laughing.
He pushed his legs further and further. His breath was coming jaggedly and each breath was like fire. He needed rest but he refused to since he didn't want the clown to catch up with him. He didn't know where he was going but when he finally stopped a few minutes later he looked around and noticed that he was in front of Chloe's house.
He knew that she wasn't there yet but he rang the bell regardless. Chloe's mother was a very nice person, especially to Joey. She was like the mother that he had always wanted and also knew that if Chloe's mother could, she would adopt him but Chloe's mother didn't have a lot of money and knew that she couldn't afford to have him living with them.
She opened the door and stared at the panting boy in front of her before quickly ushering him inside. She looked up and down the street before shutting the door closed behind her.
"Joey what's wrong? Why aren't you in school? Where's Chloe?" began Grace. She stopped when she took in Joeys cuts and heavy panting. "Come into the kitchen"
She wet a cloth and went to put it on Joey's head but he refused."No it's nothing" he said.
"Joey it could need stitches, I need to check" she scolded. Joey let her work until she finally asked the question that he had been hoping to avoid was asked.
"How did this happen J?" asked Grace with sympathy.
"Bullies but Chloe took care of them so you might be called to the school later but I was hiding-"
Grace interrupted him by saying "Did they follow you? Thank God Chloe was there. What did they do?"
Joey decided to ignore her questions and resumed his sentence, since she would find out later. "in the shed but then I saw a few boxes fall over and heard someone and then they walked out..it...was the..." he couldn't finished. Would she think that he was insane? What would she do? Would she even believe him?
"What? Who was it? Joey please you have got to tell me" she begged, kneeling down and coming up to his eye level.
"The Joker" Joey replied looking down at his shoes.
Grace kneeled there in silence for a few minutes until finally the phone rang.
Joey remained seated and faintly heard Graces voice drifting from the hallway.
"Hello...Yes,speaking...What happened?...Okay would it be okay if I could come down about five?...Of course...Thank you...Bye now"
Grace came back into the kitchen and looked at Joey.
"That was the school" she said "Chloe is in the office, have to go to the school later"
She then took a seat at the table across from Joey,
"Now, I think we need to have a talk"
Joey turned around in his chair so he was facing the woman properly.
Well there you go!
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