~~~~ D ~~~~
I slowly crack open my eyes and take in the blinding lights around. I try to move my hands to cover my face but I find them bound above my head, bound with chains holding me up from the ceiling. Squinting at my surroundings, I wonder where I am. The last thing I remember is the smell of cinnamon and heading to see Zatanna to offer her my eternal love… I picture her in my mind, the sweet, knowing smile she has... I hope she is alright. If she got hurt when I was taken, god help me…
"Ah, you're awake! Great! The fun can begin!" A piercing, shrill voice speaks in my ear. I know that voice, Joker. He walks around and faces me. I narrow my eyes as they fall on his deathly white face and wicked grin. "For years I've been trying to get at the Bats but he's no fun. He knows me too well, always raining on my parades, that party-pooper. But hey! I know him too. I was thinking that perhaps the way to get to him was through his precious little birdbrat." My skin crawls as he runs his fingers down the side of my face. "Or is it senior birdbrain now that you've grown sooo much?" I resist the urge to spit at him, my contempt for him furiously trying to claw its way to the surface.
"What are you gonna do? Ransom me? Trade my life for Batman's? You know he'll never fall for that," I shoot back, straining against the chains to move away from the Joker.
"Of course he wouldn't!" The Joker, casually steps back and pulls out a crowbar. "But he wouldn't want his dear little pet to be hurt now would he? See that's how the Bat hurts, when a 'loved one', does he even really have loved ones? I personally feel like he has a mechanical heart… but back to the matter at hand, the Bat cannot stand it when his loved ones hurt. I can just imagine how it will hurt him when you return, shattered…" The Joker whips around and brings the crowbar down against my side. I bite my lip to fight the pain. I'm pretty sure I broke a rib or two.
"Physical wounds… will heal… I won't break," I utter through gasps of pain as I breathe out.
The Joker retreats into the shadows and the smell of cinnamon rises into the air. "Oh that's what you think. But guess what does not heal so nicely, emotional scars. They fester and grow while you wither away to nothing. Now tell me, birdboy, what are you afraid of?"
The last thing I hear is his maniacal laugh as I lose consciousness.