A/N - Sorry for the delay! Just wanted to send out a special thank you to DJDragon1, angelicedg, Lycan Lover 411, Kate and the Guest who left reviews. Also thank you to all of those who added this story to their favorite/alert. Your support is appreciated!

Chapter 4 - Into the Fire

Everyone around you has murdered someone, something sacred

Gem looked at herself in the bathroom mirror, and let out an audible sigh. She was trying in vain to cover up the many bruises and bite marks on her neck and chest. She chose an uncharacteristically conservative white blouse, knee length black pencil skirt and thigh high stockings to wear to her meeting. Her choice of dress helped cover most of the marks left by her bed-mate, but the noticeable hand print on her neck refused to hide. At least, after four coats of concealer and foundation, the bruise didn't stand out so much. She fixed the smudge of her eyeliner with her finger, and then turned to leave the bathroom.

She smiled softly when her eyes fell on Digger; face down, ass naked and snoring on her bed. She left him a note on her pillow, giving him her phone number and threatening him not to take anything. She didn't trust many people, but something about Digger made her feel like she could trust him. She had never felt safer than when she woke up earlier, his arms wrapped possessively around her. She tried not to think too much about the feelings he ignited in her. In her line of work, feelings meant weakness.

With that thought in mind, she left the bedroom without a backwards glance. She grabbed her purse and a protein shake from the fridge, then slipped on her favorite silver Jimmy Choos. She took the private elevator to the parking garbage and smiled brightly when the doors opened to reveal her baby. She was a big fan of the BBC TV show "Top Gear", when she saw this car, she begged J to buy her one. It was all she could talk about for months. Finally for her 18th birthday, J finally caved and bought her baby; a black Bugatti Veyron. Gem was pretty sure that the citizens of Blüdhaven heard her excited screams when J revealed the car to her. The car was expensive to maintain, and J warned her that she would have to work her "annoying little ass off" to pay for it. She didn't care, it was all worth it. She ran her fingers lovingly along the hood of the car before slipping into the plush leather interior. The roar of the engine gave her goosebumps every time she started the engine. She left the parking garage, and rocketed towards downtown Gotham.

While driving, her phone beeped, alerting her to a new text. She reached into her purse and grabbed her phone, seeing that she had received a text from an unknown number.

Found yer vibrator. Yer pretty trusting for a Gothamite

Gem ignored the butterflies she felt when she realized it was Digger. She wrote back a quick reply while she was at a stop light.

I warned you about touching my things.

No, you said not to take anythin. You didn't saying anything about looking.

She laughed at his reply. Spoken like a true criminal. He had sent her another text before she could reply back to him.

Looks like yer vibrator died. I guess I could offer my services to ya in the meantime.

I have backups ;)

Also dead

She laughed again. He was persistent. She parked her car in an underground garage of an "abandoned" warehouse, before texting him back.

See you tonight?

He replied back to her as she stepped out of her car and locked it. She glanced down at her phone one last time while walking to the elevator.

Ya can bet yer sweet ass ya will.

She couldn't hold back a smile as she put her phone back into her purse. She looked up and her face fell instantly when she recognized who was standing at the Elevator. Marco Moretti was a wiseguy, and Gem loathed him with every fibre of her being. He was slightly taller than her, had short dark spiky hair, and an awful orange tan. Marco was also a body builder, and it was great for intimidation, but what he had in muscle, he lacked in brains. It was common knowledge amongst the gang members that Marco had a thing for Gem, and even though she insulted him at every opportunity, he continued to pursue her.

"Welcome home, Princess," he greeted. Even the sound of his obnoxious voice made her want to punch him in the face.

She had no choice but to stop in front of him, as he was blocking the elevator call button with his enormous body. "I've told you a million times not to call me that, Guido," she huffed back. She folded her arms and popped out a hip, tapping her toes impatiently. "Get out of my way Roid Rage."

His smile didn't falter at her insults. "Joker is King, Harley is Queen…" he trailed off when Gem rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Well if you're not the Princess, what are you then?" He goaded.

Gem thought for a moment before the idea struck her. She looked him in the eyes, a wicked smile forming on her lips. "I'm the Executioner, and I long for the day when J is done with you. I'll savour every moment when I rip your heart from your chest."

Marco's smile dropped and his eyes turned murderous, she stared back at him, completely unfazed. Before a violent outburst could occur, the elevator bell rang, and the doors opened to reveal Johnny Frost.

Frost raised an inquisitive eyebrow at the pair, and Gem beamed back at him. "I thought Boss gave you an assignment Marco?" Frost asked in a bored tone.

Gem stepped into the elevator with Frost and turned to Marco. "See you later Meat Bag." She winked at him as the elevator doors closed in Marco's beat red face. "Thanks for stepping in Frosty," she cooed giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," he replied, letting a small smirk grace his lips.

Gem nudged his shoulder with hers. "Careful Frosty," she teased. "Your humanity is showing."

The doors opened, Frost motioning for Gem to leave first. She stepped off, nodding her head to the goons who were standing guard. She walked with purpose to the end of the hall towards J's office, walking in like she owned the place. Her heart warmed when she saw him standing over his desk, muttering to himself. He raised his gun before looking up, letting out a snarl of displeasure at being interrupted. Gem continued to walk towards his desk, not even flinching. It wasn't as if he hadn't shot at her before, she trusted her reflexes to be faster than his trigger finger.

The Joker lowered his gun, his serious face turning into a wide grin, showing off his silver grill. "Ah, there's my little Zodiac Killer," he purred.

Gem flopped herself down in one of the chairs in front of his desk giving him a brilliant smile. "Long night?" She questioned, noticing that he was only wearing his pinstriped purple pants. She knew J was an insomniac. He kept himself occupied with making bombs and planning crazy schemes. It seemed to be a pattern of his, the longer he went without sleep, the less clothing he wore.

He grunted, dismissing her question while searching for his discarded shirt. He buttoned up only three buttons of the black dress shirt, still leaving his pale tattooed chest exposed, then sat down. He looked her over, his eyes zeroing in on her throat and the large bruise she knew he could see. "Find a playmate did you?" He asked in a low growl.

"Yes, met him on the way home." Gem replied trying to keep the conversation light. J got overprotective sometimes, she didn't need him putting a bullet between Digger's eyes prematurely.

"And what does the young man think about your career choice?"

Gem snorted internally when J said "young man". She wasn't sure how old Digger was, but was sure he was early to mid 30s. "We didn't talk much," she replied with a smug smile.

J let out a loud laugh. His clowny laugh used to terrify her, but now she could tell the difference between his amused laugh and his murder laugh. "Tell me about L.A." He asked once his laughing subsided.

"You were right," Gem began. "Penguin was trying to make friends with some of the gangs there. He's got a shitload of new drugs waiting in Colombia. All he needs is access to a port of entry and hired guns to transport and he could flood the streets of Gotham with his product."

J nodded his head in understanding. "Since we have control of the east and south ports, our featherless friend thought he could go west without being noticed. Were you able to make contact with any of the leaders?"

Gem nodded her head. "All but one wanted nothing to do with Penguin. Too scared of you from what I understand."

The Joker ignored her blatant ego stroke. "And what did you do about the one who isn't afraid?"

"I'm sure if you Google him later today, you'll see he has unfortunately been found dead in a hotel room. A case of autoerotic asphyxiation gone wrong, I suppose." She laughed darkly.

Joker raised both his eyebrows in surprise. "You made it look like an accident?"

"The people who needed to know understand it wasn't."

"Ah, my sweet little Gemini, I'm so glad I found you," he praised.

"I found you," she corrected. "Is that really all you wanted to talk about?" She was still annoyed that J has called a meeting on her day off.

His smile vanished, a serious look replacing it. He stared at her, a menacing look in his eyes. Gem was used to his moods swings. She stared back at him, knowing he was waiting for her to show any signs of discomfort. When he saw none, he smiled at her again, letting out a low laugh. "Angry that I tore you from your depraved fornicating?"

She shrugged her shoulders indifferently. "I wouldn't call it depraved, but he does have a wicked tongue."

J curled his lip in disgust. He opened one of his desk drawers, pulling out a manila folder and sliding it to her. "This is why I called you in on your day off, Sweet Cheeks."

Curiously, Gem opened the folder and her blood ran cold. She tried to reign in her emotions, as she stared at the photo of Digger. J was good at reading people, and any change in her demeanour would surely be noticed. She pretended to read the bio that was provided, but all she saw was 'George Harkness' 'Captain Boomerang' and '31'. "Is this my next target?" She asked, finally looking up at J.

He was scrutinizing her. He must have saw her surprised reaction when she saw his photo. He continued to gaze at her for a moment longer, before giving her another wide grin. If he suspected anything, he didn't say. "Oh no," J replied using his clowny voice. "This handsome piece is your new partner."

Gem blinked. "Partner?" She asked struggling to keep her voice from raising an octave.

"To replace the last one." J was now talking to her like she was 3. "You remember don't you? You got him killed after all."

Gem scoffed. "He was a liability, was going to get killed sooner or later anyways. You said I could be on my own for a bit."

"And you were. You went to L.A. all by yourself! My baby is all grown up," J pretended to wipe a tear from his eye.

"I'm being serious J."

"So am I Sweet Cheeks. You are too important to be going out alone."

She deflated in her chair. Well at least he wasn't here to work for Penguin. She was about to ask J another question, when Frost walked into the office. J glanced at him and nodded. Frost walked back out and was replaced by another. Gem turned in her chair to see who the newcomer was. She felt her stomach clench when she gazed into the eyes of Digger, or Boomerang, or whoever the fuck he was. He didn't show any surprise or recognition when he looked at her. She had to admit the guy had one hell of a poker face. Gem glanced at J when he made a noise, and he gave her a look causing her to sigh.

She stood up from her chair, brushing the invisible dust from her skirt and turned to walk towards Digger. She gave him a sly smile as she openly checked him out. He was wearing a blue hoodie with 'Captain' writing across it, and a large overcoat. Her smile grew when she saw his hoodie was zipped up to his neck, in a poor attempt to hide the marks she had left on him earlier.

"Gemini Stone," she extended her hand.

He took her hand, his face still neutral. He ran his forefinger along the inside of her wrist, goosebumps ran up her arm as he did. "Cap'n Boomerang," he drawled. "But y'can call me Digger."

She removed her hand from his, and turned back to J, motioning for him to follow. From the look J was giving Digger, Gem could only assume that the Aussie was watching her ass sway as she walked. Was the moron trying to get himself killed? To his credit, he didn't try to shake J's hand, only nodded towards him and sat down. J continued to scowl at him, Gem cleared her throat trying to get J out of whatever murderous fantasy he was currently enveloped in. J turned his gazed towards Gem, his eyes falling on her neck once again. She could see the pieces of the puzzle falling into place in his eyes. He knew. She held her breath, not knowing how the madman would react.

"As you are already aware," J began scowl still firmly in place. "A war for Gotham's soul is about to begin." Gem frowned at him. What the hell was he talking about? She wasn't aware of any war. She was about to ask when he stopped her, pointing a finger in her direction. "A war that I have every intention of winning. You, my shiny little Gem, are going to have to step out of the shadows, and once that happens, there will be a big fat target on your back."

Gem stared back at The Joker, stunned. He had always been very clear with her from the beginning. No one could know who or what she was. She was to pretend to be the pretty rich girl J strung along for the ride. No one could know her true purpose. Now he wanted her to reveal herself?

"And you think I won't be able to handle having a target on my back, is that it?" She knew she was sounding like a spoiled child, but hadn't she proved herself to J enough times?

J rolled his jaw in annoyance, his eyes darkened. The look he gave her told her that if he could, he would have his hands wrapped around her neck right now. "You're going to show this Brat the finer points of being a criminal," J directed the statement towards Digger. "She's the perfect killing machine, and her interrogation techniques are unmatched." J licked his lips. His eyes rolled to the back of his head, as if he was remembering something pleasant. He snapped his head back suddenly, "But she's absolute shit when it comes to the art of subtlety. She's loud, she's messy and oblivious to her surroundings."

Gem wanted interrupt, but she knew J was right. She had a lot more to learn if she was going to step into the spotlight with J and Harls. Gem remained quiet, getting lost in her thoughts as J continued to inform Digger of his purpose. She didn't want to hide her true self anymore. She wanted her name to invoke the same fear as The Joker did. She had never heard of Captain Boomerang before, but it was obvious J had. He wouldn't trust anyone but the best to teach or protect her. Maybe she should Google him when she got home….

She blinked out of her thoughts realizing that both men had stopped talking and were now staring at her. She gave J an apologetic smile, having no clue what had been said.

"You done with your little tantrum?" J asked. Gem nodded. "Good. We're going to start simple. You'll attend tonight's meetings. Ask questions, give your input for anything that will require your expertise. Captain Kangaroo here is going to shadow you, find your vulnerabilities. You do not go anywhere without him. Do you understand?" He gave her a look that said this wasn't up for negotiations.

She raised her eyebrow at his last request. "You want him to live with me?"

"You've got enough rooms in your apartment," he replied dismissively. Gem nodded again. Maybe he didn't suspect anything between her and Digger. "Anthony will pick you up at 9, now get out of my sight."

Gem stood up immediately and began walking to the door. She opened it, feeling the Aussie close by. They were both stopped from leaving when The Joker's voice called out to them.

Gem turned slowly, J was laughing, and it was not his amused laugh. She held her breath as he placed his hand over his lips, the smile tattoo on his hand sending a shiver down her spine. J was pissed. "If you two are going to keep fucking," he began, his clowny voice low and menacing. "Do NOT let it interfere with my plans. Capiche?"

The Joker began laughing again, this time much louder, causing the hair on the back of Gem's neck to rise. She quickly grabbed Digger by the arm, pulling him out of the room before slamming the door shut. Just as the door shut there was a loud thud; it was the sound of a knife imbedding itself into the wood.

Digger looked at Gem in surprise. "Is he always like that?"

Gem snorted, leading Digger back down the hallway towards the elevator. "That was pretty tame actually. He knew about us. The fact that you're still breathing means that he must really appreciate your skills."

As they entered the elevator, Gem pushed the button for the garage. Digger gave her a sideways glance, "So y'own businesses eh?"

"Dealing drugs, illegal gambling rings and murder for hire is like a business," she responded, trying to keep a straight face. He gave a derisive snort. "What about you?" She shot back. "Mr. I'm here for a contract?"

"I am!" He defended, the pitch in his voice rising slightly. "It is a 6 month contract, stating I would be involved in murder and mayhem. It didn't say anything about training ya or keeping your fine ass alive."

Her stomach dropped when he mentioned it was only a 6 month deal. She quickly forced the feeling away, stepping out of the elevator. She walked towards her car, adding an extra sway in her hips, knowing he was watching her fine ass. She unlocked her car, turning her head to gauge his reaction. She was not disappointed. His mouth hung wide open as he ogled her baby. She laughed while walking to the driver side door. "Buckle up Cowboy; you're in for a hell of a ride."