That one clear moment when regret hits you so hard, you could collapse from the force. It was so prominent, so strong, she could nearly feel the pricks of the ice that swallowed her veins. Her mouth was so dry, she could barley swallow as she stared into the demented eyes of the Joker, his mocking smile merciless. Escape routes flashed through her mind like wildfire, yet Willow knew that no matter which way she tried to run, he would catch her. Not to mention it would only make him angrier. She was a dead women where she stood and she knew it.

"H-hello," she choked out, finding it to be her only option left. But by the look of his eyebrows slightly raising, he surely didn't expect a reply.

His wicked smile grew ten sizes as he stared down at her, his chaotic eyes flickering in all directions. "Ya know, you kinda ruined my uh fun, sweetheart," he snapped, although his smile did not falter.

Her heavy breaths increased as her eyebrows furrowed, her frown deepening. "What?" she whispered, not understanding. Hadn't she just helped him?

"My fun," he growled, his smile now fading. "Their deaths were much too quick," he chuckled, it high-pitched and ringing. The red of the blood stuck out smoothly against the bright orange of his outfit, only adding more to his intimidating appearance.

"I thought I helped you," she snorted, before physically cringing. For just a second, she forgot who she was talking to. She had a tendency of doing that quite a lot, only adding to the heaping regret that laid on her shoulders.

His laughter cut short, his surprised eyes appraising her once more. "Doesn't a person who needs help scream for it?" he growled, his sneer causing shivers to run up her spine.

"S-sometimes," she breathed, her trembling body causing the Joker to chuckle. His tongue darted from his mouth, cutting across the corner of his lips so quick, she nearly didn't see it.

His eyes quickly flickered over her face, a certain concentration running through his eyes that she couldn't recognize. "You're uh new in the Narrows, aren't ya?" he asked, changing the subject so fast, it nearly made her brain swirl. Was she making small talk with an anarchist?

She roughly swallowed, before nodding her head. "Yes," she added, nearly forcing her tears away. "How did you know?" Once again, she almost slammed her hand over her own mouth. Stop talking!

He snickered, before breaking into his psychotic bellows. The sound echoed along the alleyway, continuing to grow in volume. "The Narrows isn't a place for little girlie's like yourself," he grinned, leaning even closer. She was now backed against the wall, her heart thrumming in her chest. "It's a connection-ah," he added, with such emphasis that caused her to flinch.

A connection. So the Narrows wasn't just a run down place she could only afford... it was much more than that. The Joker wouldn't be her only concern... that is, if she would even make it back home. Gazing up at the sky, her eyes caught the blurred outlines of the Bat symbol hazing in the sky, the clouds giving it a ghostly appearance as they trickled across it. The Joker followed her line of sight, before cackling in her face.

"Hoping for the Batman?" he growled, his voice so low it was nearly demonic. Her breath caught in her throat as she stood inches from him, his nose nearly touching hers.

In all honesty, she was. For him to appear out of no where, and take the Joker back where he belonged before she was done for. Instead of saying so, she viciously shook her head, biting on her lip so hard that it bled.

The Joker's eyes smoldered as he watched the bead of blood grow, seconds before he whipped out his gun. "Well... it's been fun, sweetheart. But I, ah, better get going," he purred, the barrel of the gun laid against her forehead.

That talk about seeing your life flashing before your eyes... Willow now understood what that meant. Her heart stopped, her knees nearly falling beneath her. She could almost hear the click of a clock over the Joker's laugh, his make-up stained finger pulling back the trigger...

Yet all that occurred was a click. The gun was empty after his recent usage. The clown man paused, his smile fading as he stared at the gun. A dark sneer flashed across his face as he pointed it at her once again. Click! Click! Click! It was almost as if he was hypnotized, unable to believe that a bullet would not crash through her skull. Finally, he angrily slammed the gun against the wall by her head.

He opened his mouth, prepared to say something else, before the sound of footsteps were present. Snapping his head over, he heard the muffled conversation of a couple walking outside the alley. The debate in his eyes was clear as he thought over his decisions. Either kill her, and draw their attention... or leave so the police and the Bat wouldn't be after him right after he escaped.

Letting out a hiss, he pushed himself off the wall, away from her. "Looks like it's your lucky night, doll," he snickered, quietly. "If you see the Bat tell him I, uh, said hello," he chortled, before disappearing into the night.

It was only a second before Willow ran as fast as her feet could take her. Sprinting out of the alley, and nearly taking down the two people who were passing. Not even pausing to apologize, she bolted home. Georgie was a distant memory as she wandered the Narrows, finally pausing outside of her new dingy home. Slinging the door open, she nearly collapsed in the doorway after locking the door.

The Joker.

She had just met the Joker... and survived. Call it luck, or merely karma, she wasn't sure. Her intentions were to help him, and she survived. Tears miserably trickled down her cheeks as she tried to calm her shaking. She lived... she had to be dreaming. The sound of the phone ringing snapped her out of her thoughts, a scream almost tumbling from her lips. Why hadn't she screamed before? It would have been pointless. She slowly walked over to her cellphone, her legs feeling like jello. The adrenaline was subsiding, and she supposed these were the aftereffects. She picked up the phone, putting it to her ear.

"Hello?" she whispered to the unknown number, her heart finally slowing.

"Willow, please, I just want to talk-"

Click.


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