(Warnings and all that other junk will be found in the first chapter)

Disclaimer: Bruce Wayne/Batman, Joker, and anyone else I throw in here do not belong to me.

Note: Well, second chapter right away! You're lucky I really like this story, otherwise you wouldn't be getting so many frequent updates! Just wanted to thank those who reviewed/had this story alerted. I'm glad to know that people are enjoying it. Somehow I think this chapter will disappoint but I did my best. I'm still trying to figure out a solid plot line that'll make sense so bear with me.

'Italics'- Thoughts of characters

"Italics" – Whispering


Chapter Two- Rich Man's World


Morning came all too soon at the Wayne household, leaving the billionaire's mind fuzzy from lack of sleep, which he figured he ought to be used to by now. However it'd been harder than usual to get to sleep that night, which he blamed entirely on the Joker, who refused to leave his thoughts. Bruce groaned as he sat up and stretched, his back cracking deliciously and leaving him feeling a lot less stiff than before. Alfred would arrive in his massive bedroom soon (which of course contained a king sized bed, a massive wardrobe, among other things), ready to alert him about his schedule for the day and force food down his throat.

The dark haired man padded into the bathroom that was connected to his bedroom, grabbing a fluffy towel and setting it on the sink before he turned the knobs in the shower and warm water thundered down. He tried not to grimace as he was forced to see all the scars that came from his other 'job' while he undressed, usually only wearing a pair of boxers and a wife beater to bed. But he had to admit.. the physical pain he suffered was nothing compared to the emotional and mental pain..

Such thoughts were washed from his mind as he stepped into the shower, letting the jets of warm water cascade over his toned body and soothe his tired muscles. He snapped out of his daze after a moment and proceeded to wash himself thoroughly, scrubbing at his skin as though he were trying to get all the evil he'd come in contact with off of him. Unfortunately it would never completely leave him, this he knew..

Twenty minutes later the knobs were turned once again, this time ending the continuous flow of water, and Bruce grabbed the towel he'd left out for himself, lazily drying himself off. At least now he was clean and a bit more awake, though he still could head right back into bed if given the opportunity. Wrapping the towel securely around his waist, Wayne opened the door of the now steamy bathroom and stepped out into much cooler air, shivering involuntarily.

"Ah good, you're awake. I was afraid I was going to have to bring in a bucket of water today and dump it all over your nice silk sheets. Wouldn't want that, hm?" Alfred stood in the doorway to his bedroom, holding a tray full of food that Bruce wasn't sure he was up to eating at the moment. "Shall I pick out your outfit today Master Wayne? You have two conference meetings, and if I remember correctly, a date with a young female whom you met at one of your parties around lunchtime. Is that still on or am I to inform her that you're cancelling?"

"Clothes would be nice Alfred, and.. tell her that I am cancelling, merely because I'm having another party tonight. To celebrate.. whatever." Honestly Bruce was running out of excuses to have parties, but he really didn't think his guests would care if they had a reason to be going to the now famous Wayne penthouse. His long time butler nodded slowly before he began to pick through the enormous wardrobe Bruce had, pulling out a dark gray suit, a cream colored dress shirt, and a matching gray and black tie.

"I'll let you handle the underclothes yourself, Master Wayne." The old man winked before he exited the room, probably off to call whoever that woman was that Bruce was supposed to be seeing today. Once left alone, the billionaire began to get dressed methodically, starting with his boxers, then socks, and so on and so forth. His eyes landed on the food briefly, and his nose wrinkled a bit in disinterest, so he simply drank the coffee and left the rest of the meal on the tray.

After brushing his teeth and gelling back his hair, he deemed himself ready to head into Wayne Enterprises to take on another day as the richest man in Gotham.


Getting out of Arkham was easy, however getting a ride back into Gotham proved to be nearly impossible. The Joker had to walk at least two miles to get into an area where people actually ventured. Arkham Asylum was placed on the outskirts of Gotham for a reason after all, and no one wanted to get close to the 'crazy people' in case they happened to escape. If only they knew just how easily he'd escaped.. Then they'd move themselves six miles away instead of two.

Needless to say, after quite a bit of walking, the Joker was more than ready to get a lift, and happened to pounce on an old man driving his beat up pick up truck back into Gotham. After disposing of the other male's corpse, the infamous villain was speeding into the city he loved to torment, looking forward to meeting this mysterious 'Bruce Wayne' character. From what the guards had said, the man didn't seem overly pleasant, which didn't bother the Joker in the least.

After all, what was more fun than a stereotypical stuck up rich guy? Nothing! Well, besides Batman, but Joker would play with him later.

As he drove, the clown-like man began to dig through the glove compartment, haphazardly steering and nearly ramming into other cars. He was thrilled to find a hunting knife within the compartment, and compulsively kissed the blade. Not seeing a knife for three weeks was enough to drive him insane.. The sharp object was slipped into his pants pocket (which were a little too big for him, considering he'd taken them from 'Lemon') and his attention was once more on the road, so he wouldn't get caught before the fun even began.

Finally he came to a screeching halt outside a very fancy, expensive looking restaurant, where all the posh rich people were dining without a care. Surely one of them would know what Bruce Wayne was up to.. With that thought in mind, the Joker slid out of 'his' truck and slammed the door, whistling a tune as he walked into the alleyway alongside the restaurant, where the side entrance for employees was located. It was hardly a challenge to slip past the waiters and waitresses, who were bustling around like their asses were on fire, not even sparing him a glance.

The Joker then silently entered the men's restroom, where he lay in wait for anyone who happened to come in… Luckily he barely had to wait long at all, and his victim sauntered in wearing the classic penguin clothing and a scornful look on his face. He certainly wasn't expecting to be shoved into the wall, with an extremely threatening knife pressed against his throat. Though the Joker wasn't wearing his usual face paint, the tell-tale scars by his mouth gave him away, and the rich man began to shudder uncontrollably.

"Shh.. Calm down.. Normally I'd be flattered if I made you wet yourself, but right now I need you to answer a few questions for me. Can you do that? That's right.. Nod your head.." The villain was basically cooing to his victim, acting more like a mother than a serial killer, "Now, first question. Do you know Bruce Wayne? You do? Oh good! Second question, do you know him well? No? Tsk tsk.. What about this, do you know him well enough to be invited to his parties? Wonderful! Now last question, and then I can let you drain the main vein, alright? When is Bruce Wayne's next party?"

"T-Tonight! It's tonight! At his penthouse! Now please let me go.. Don't cut up my face.. I'm getting married and if you cut it up.." The blubbering man trailed off, more concerned for his looks than anything else, which made the Joker tap his knife against his lip thoughtfully.

".. Do you wanna know how I got these scars?"


Dresses were very comfortable, a fact that Joker had soon noticed after he played dress up when visiting Harvey Dent. The lightness, the airiness of a dress.. They didn't confine or trap you like pants did, but rather covered you from prying eyes and still let you be free. Plus the Joker had a fascination with spinning around in them and watching the skirt fly up around him. So, that explained exactly why the male was currently trying on dresses within one of the small cubicles in an expensive clothing store.

He wasn't dumb either, contrary to what people thought of him; being a woman would make it easier for him to hide his ugly scars. Cover up was a beautiful thing.. He already basically wore lipstick, so that hardly bothered him, and neither did the rest of the stuff. Sure it wasn't the same as his precious war paint, but it would have to do if he wanted to make a 'good impression' on Bruce Wayne.

Finally the Joker settled on a blood red dress (he decided that color looked best on him) with spaghetti straps, a ruched bodice and a bubble hem that came down to his knees. Absently he scratched at his leg hair, realizing that he was going to have to take care of that if he was going to wear a dress that showed so much leg. And maybe he should get a shawl of some sort to hide his 'man shoulders.'

With a shrug the Joker pulled out his knife once again and sliced the price tag off of the dress, before he flounced out of the dressing room to look for a pair of shoes to match his outfit. The looks he received were very entertaining, but he managed to resist grinning at them all, instead keeping his head low as he made his way to the shoe section of the store. After finding a pair of red pumps that fit, the Joker was out of there, making running in high heels look easy.

Which was impressive for someone who'd only worn heels once before.


It really wasn't necessary for him to change suits for a party, yet Bruce found himself doing it anyways, now changing into a black suit with a red dress shirt and a black tie. He always felt the desire to come off as clean, professional, and of course, rich. Plus at the moment he had nothing better to do, besides wait for guests to arrive, which was something he didn't exactly enjoy doing. There were always certain people who came early in order to try to get him alone (mostly women) and being trapped with them bothered him to no end. It was like being a lamb thrown in with a pack of wolves. Make that starving wolves.

However once he squirted a bit of cologne on himself, he had no other form of 'primping' and was forced to exit the safety of his room. The main area for guests was already starting to fill, which wasn't too bad considering it was only six forty-five and the party was meant to start at seven. The sooner they arrived, the sooner they left, or so Bruce tried to convince himself. A glass of wine was held out to him, and he took it gratefully.

"Thought you'd need something to lift your spirits. You're looking down already and the party hasn't even started." Alfred chuckled to himself before he disappeared into the growing crowd of people, no doubt to chat with them or pass out wine. Bruce downed the glass of white wine with one gulp, knowing for a fact that he was going to need more than one glass to get through this. Before.. with Rachel it had been easier to stand such get togethers.

But now that the woman was gone, the billionaire felt oddly abandoned and alone, unsure what to do with himself. He didn't have to worry about finding the right person, if there were ever a day Batman wasn't needed, because Rachel would be waiting for him. And now.. now he had no one waiting, no one to love when his 'career' as Batman ended.

Bruce realized after a moment that his posture was completely rigid, his eyes cold and dark, which probably explained why his guests were avoiding him rather than coming to say hello. He forced himself to relax, letting a casual smile drift across his face before he decided to finally mingle with his guests. An hour managed to slip by without him even noticing it, and he returned to the refreshment table searching for another glass of wine (this would be his third), only to notice a woman unfamiliar to him.

It was possible that she was one of his employee's dates, but she stood off to the corner alone, surveying the crowd with eyes outlined in black eyeliner. Bruce curiously let his eyes slip over the woman, admiring how well her red dress fit her, and trying not to gape at how long and gorgeous her legs were. Slowly his eyes worked their way back up to the female's face, which was well powdered, her lips a shocking crimson that matched her dress perfectly. Her short chestnut hair flipped out at the bottom and almost appeared to be messy, as though she hadn't bothered to comb it before she left.

She wasn't exactly beautiful, but she had a charm about her that had him enticed..

There was something.. strangely familiar about this woman, as though he had seen her before, but he couldn't place it. Perhaps if he spoke to her he'd figure out where he'd met her previously. With that thought in mind, he grabbed two glasses of wine and made his way over to the woman in the red dress, smiling politely and holding the wine out to her. She eyed him with a curious expression, and for a moment he thought she didn't know who he was. When she didn't say anything to him, or even sip the wine, Bruce assumed that she didn't know his name and was expecting an introduction.

"I'm sorry.. I don't think I've seen you around here before. I'm Bruce Wayne, the host of this party. I hope you're enjoying yourself." Now the woman's eyes flashed, and a smile curled her lips before she held out a hand. A very.. large hand. The billionaire shook his head and took the other's hand, shaking it while waiting for her to give him a name. Instead she let go of his hand and pointed at her throat, before coughing, imitating speaking, and shaking her head. "Oh you're sick? Well maybe you shouldn't have come.."

Now the woman looked hurt, her eyes batting as though she were about to cry and lips pulled into a frown. Bruce regretted his words and instantly tried to amend them. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that. I just don't want you to be.. tiring yourself out, is all. Or making the sickness worse. It must be pretty bad if you can't even speak." She nodded with sad eyes, wrapping her free arm around herself protectively, a gesture that called out to Bruce.

"Would you like to dance?" The question surprised him more than it did the woman, who raised her hand to her mouth in a flattered gesture, now batting her eyes for a completely different reason than before. The billionaire fought to keep a blush back, wanting to retain his unbreakable appearance, before he stole away the other's glass of wine and set it beside his on the table. Then he held out his arm to her, and she grasped it cautiously, as though unsure about what she was doing.

Hell he was even unsure about what he was doing. Usually the women asked him to dance, not the other way around! But it seemed this night was one of many surprises.. The couple made their way out onto the designated dance spot, where a small orchestra played softly in the background while people danced along to the music. Naturally Bruce placed himself and the woman in the center of the floor, so all attention was on them, before he got themselves into the proper dancing position.

It was so strange, having this woman pressed against him. She wasn't soft, like all the other women he'd ever danced with, but hard, firm, durable. For some reason he felt pleased by this, glad to know that she wouldn't break, that she wouldn't leave him when he needed her most. Bruce blinked as he realized what he'd been thinking and shook his head. This woman was not Rachel, and she would never be Rachel. He didn't even know her name!

Yet.. as they danced he couldn't help but feel something for her, a pull.. Like Earth's pull to the Sun, in a way. It was the only comparison he could really agree with, yet even in his head it sounded cheesy. When the song ended she still clung to him, leaning into his chest so he couldn't see her face. Bruce lead her off the dance floor, one arm wrapped around her waist and the other hanging by his side, as if he were unsure what to do with it.

"Would you like some more wine?" The head against him shook back and forth, so Bruce grabbed a glass for himself, finishing it in one swift gulp. The billionaire then led the woman out to the balcony which was thankfully empty and quiet, thinking perhaps he could get even just her name out of her. While he looked out at the city, she wriggled around in his hold, managing to free herself from his arm before she looked up at him. Their eyes met and they held each other's gaze, until, almost as though he wasn't controlling his body, he leaned down and kissed her, his hands resting on her hips.

Bruce felt her stiffen a bit in surprise, and he glanced at her through slit eyes to see that her own were wide with shock. However they soon slipped closed, and her lips parted, granting him access into her mouth. The billionaire's tongue tangled with a complete stranger, both of them fighting for control which Bruce ultimately gained, now pushing the woman against the balcony railing. She tasted like wine, and some of the pastries left out for the guests, but there was something else there..

Before he knew what was happening, a pair of hands pressed against his chest and gave him a firm shove, causing him to stumble backwards. He watched in confusion as the woman he'd just been making out with dusted off her dress, offered him a smile, and blew him a kiss before flouncing back into the penthouse. Bruce stood there for a moment, stunned by what had just happened; he never was pushed away.. Coming to his senses, the now slightly disheveled man raced after the woman, pushing through the crowd of guests that seemed to swarm him.

He thought he saw a flash of red disappear around a corner, and he knew it was too late. The mysterious woman in the red dress was gone.. and he didn't even know her name. But, he had figured out what else he'd tasted when they kissed, and his stomach churned uncomfortably.

Blood.


Author's Note: Ugh I'm not happy with this chapter at all. IT'S LONG AND RAMBLY AND NOT VERY GOOD. The Joker's a hard character to get right, as I'm noticing, and I think I'm failing miserably. However I refuse to let that get me down! Wonder what the Joker's thoughts on this whole encounter are, hm? Oh and just so you know, I'm going away tomorrow and I won't be back till Friday. That will be when the next update comes. Review if you've got suggestions/complaints/insults!

God I love Joker in dresses.