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After a few moments, I control myself with the encouraging thought that I will be safe soon. There will be plenty of time for tears later. I sniff, and hope my makeup isn't smeared because it would give me away.
Joker wraps his arms around me, and I try and shift away.
"Come on Lane, it isn't that bad."
"Isn't that bad?" I say angrily, "He will never see his family again! He will never get the chance to do anything ever again! Murder is bad."
He surprises me by laughing, but rather than being afraid, it just irritates me.
"Stop it." I say darkly.
"Ooh, or what?" He grabs my face and forces me to look at him. His breath is hot in my face, and all I want to do is hit him.
I don't dare to though, or I would be dead before we went another foot. Or he would drag it out, just to make me suffer.
I shiver, and push those thoughts away. I don't want to die.
"I'm waiting Lane." He says, voice going lower.
I'm full of angry, empty threats, so I don't say anything and after a moment, he continues.
"That's what I thought. You aren't going to do anything. You know why? Because I am always...in control. And if I decide that one of my boys doesn't need to mess up again... well than that's my choice."
"And if you decide you don't want me to mess up again?"
"Hmm." He pauses for a second. "Then things will be very interesting won't they?"
I don't want to know anything else about what he is thinking, so I change the subject.
"Where are we going?"
"Ah, ah ah... Don't want to ruin the surprise now, do we?"
"I guess not."
The phone in my pocket feels like it weighs ten pounds. I'm worried that Batman might text me while I am this close to the Joker. What his reaction would be to that, I wonder.
He lets go of my face, and I turn to face the window again. I try and clear my head as Gotham blurs by.
After about ten minutes, we pull into an alley. Joker grabs my hand and leads me out of the van.
"The fun starts now." He says happily, and pulls me over to a wall. "Now I need you to concentrate Lane. Just let it come instinctually, and don't fight it."
"Fight what?" I'm dazed. everything is happening too fast, and I feel surreal.
"Oh you'll see." He leans close to me and whispers darkly, "Don't try and make a scene either. I'm not in the mood for bats to come ruin your first time."
I nod my head and pray that Batman will come find us. I can't believe this all started because I didn't appreciate what he was doing for this city. Why was I so stupid?
Joker pulls me back to reality by tugging my arm and leading me to the opening onto the street. For a moment we just stand there, watching people pass. It's interesting because Gotham's most wanted psychopath is not five feet away from them, but they don't even notice. They don't even glance into the alley or take their eyes away from the sidewalk.
"Is this normal?" I ask.
"Oh yes. Even you did this. You don't realize how blind these citizens are until you are on the other side looking out. So in a way, I've rescued you, not captured you."
He laughs quietly for a moment, and then his face turns very serious. Only his made up smile shows any emotion. He becomes motionless, and I am confused as to what he is doing. It kind of reminds me of a show I saw on Animal Planet with a lion hunting a gazelle.
Time seems to stop for a moment, and then he lurches out into the street. He grabs a small young woman and jerks her back into the alley in a split second. His hand is over her mouth and a knife is at the woman's throat before she hits the wall.
"Now ma'am." Joker says with a happy quiet voice. "My friend here is in a sort of training exercise, and we have decided that you can help." He laughs then and calls me to come over.
I walk closer, and wonder what the Joker is planning on me doing to this man. I'm certainly not going to hurt him, and maybe dying is the better option if it comes to that.
"Take this knife." He says, glancing at me. My hand goes out shakily and I grasp the handle.
I'm not gonna hurt her. I'm not gonna hurt her. I think to myself over and over like a chant.
I glace over to the street, and am surprised that no one is looking or pointing or anything. They just pass by, clueless.
I am distracted by a small sound that the woman makes. I turn back to her, and see that she is focusing on me and her eyes are only filled with confusion. She is probably confused about who I am. Recognizing the Joker from the news, but not me.
Joker pulls her off the wall, and down farther into the alley. We pass the van and go a few more feet around a corner. Joker lets go of the woman, but before she has time to do anything, two of joker's henchmen grab her, and cover her mouth.
Joker pulls me a few feet away, and says, "Now Lane, we are going to start small. I want you to take this woman's jacket."
"Her jacket? Why?"
"Because honestly, well, you look a little dirty and she has a nice clean leather jacket. It's not perfect, but at least it's a start. You can't expect people to respect you if you're wearing a dirty t-shirt and ripped blue jeans. At least a jacket will give you a rebellious look. "
He laughs, and I shiver. I don't want to do this, but it's a lot better than the stabbing or shooting I had been dreading he would try to make me do. And if I take her jacket now, Batman could always try and find her later right? Or lead me to her? So that I could return it...
"Fine." I mumble to the ground. If I do it fast, then maybe Joker will let her go. I wish I had been given the same option.
"That's my girl." He purrs, and I clench my fists together. I'm not his property, and I'm tired of him claiming some sort of ownership over me.
I take a deep breath, and decide not to push my luck trying to argue with him. I walk back to the girl, who looks like she is going to pass out, and say, "Could I please use your jacket?"
The girl frantically nods her head, and she seems grateful that my request didn't involve pain.
The Joker on the other hand, wasn't impressed.
"No no no." He walked up behind me. "That will never do. If you want respect, you have to uh, earn it. Not ask for it like a kid. Here. Let me show you." He reaches for the knife, and I jerk it away.
"No!" I say quickly, fearing for the girl's life.
"Now, missy. I am the teacher here. Not you. If you can't do something properly, then let me demonstrate." He pulls out a different knife, and grabs the girl by the hair.
"Hey." He pulls her close, and my mind tries to figure a way out of this. "Look here... Look at me!"
"Wait!" I say a little loudly. "I can do better! Don't... ruin the fun."
The last three words are my best attempt at stalling and hopefully sparing the girl harm. He turns and looks at me again, and starts to laugh. I stand facing him, and try to smile. Hopefully, I could just get him to believe my ruse.
"Well alrighty then!" He says happily, "Come show us how it's done."
He backs up a few feet, and I get a better hold on my knife. I don't plan on using it, but I have to at least look like I'm willing to use force.
I walk up to the girl and glance at the goons holding her arms.
"Let her go. I can handle this." I drop my voice lower to try and sound threatening.
"No way. She's as good as gone if we do." One replies.
"Boys! Do as she asks! She can't get past all of us." The Joker says harshly.
They let her go, and she freezes like a deer in the headlights. I know she wants to flee, but I can tell that as she glances around frantically, she knows she has no chance of getting past everyone.
I squint my eyes and walk up to her, knife held out in front of me.
"Girl." I say flatly. "You want outta this? Give me the jacket."
She frantically nods her head, and I want to throw up. She is probably going to need therapy, and I'm the cause. My eyes water and I blink the tears away. I can't lose control now or the girl will surely pay for my weakness.
She takes off her jacket, and I hold my free hand out.
"Don't let it touch the ground." I say.
She hands me the jacket roughly, and I am relieved as I shrug it on. The Joker didn't interfere, and she didn't get hurt. Physically at least.
I hear the Joker clap behind me.
"Well done miss, well done. I'm sad you didn't do more, but it is a start." He flashes me a smile, and reaches into his pocket. He pulls out a prescription bottle, and says, "This should erase it all nicely from her head."
The girl backs up against the wall, "No! I gave you the jacket! Please let me go!"
"Oh we will. If Miss decided to spare you, you can be spared. I just can't have you go and ruin the rest of my day now can I?"
He opens the bottle, and shakes a couple pills into his gloved hand.
"Here comes the train!" He coos.
He forces her mouth open, and pushes the pills in with his thumb.
She tries to fight him for a few moments, but gives up and swallows the pills. He picks her up, and puts her in the back of the van, shutting the door quickly after one of the other men gets in with her.
"What is he going to do with her?" I ask.
"Oh nothing. He's just there to watch her until the pills kick in. Then she won't remember what day of the week it is!" He laughs.
I look at the van and feel so sorry for what I've just done. Hopefully someday, she will understand that I am as big of a victim as she was.
"And now, we wait." Joker says. "You know, normally we would just kill her and be done with it, but it is your first day and I wanted to make it special. You could thank me you know."
"Thanks." I say quietly.
"Hmm? Sorry. It's kinda hard to hear you this far away. How's about I get a little closer huh?"
He comes right up to me and takes me by the shoulders. I look into his eyes because I don't want him to force me again, and see nothing. No light, no spark. Just flat and dark. I wonder if he has taken some sort of wacky medication today, but just don't care. I just want this all to be over.
"Now what were you saying Lane?"
"Thank you for not killing her." I say.
"Oh, Lane! Your welcome!"
He leans forward, and the side of his face rests against mine. I am so surprised, that I jerk my head back quickly, and look away. I want minimal physical contact with him, not to be touching faces.
"Aww, Lane! What did I say about being uh, convincing!"
"I just... Didn't want to smear the paint!" I lie quickly. Amazed at how fast I thought of it.
"Ohhh. Very clever!" He nods approvingly.
I break away from his hug, and am honestly surprised he doesn't grab me right back. I take a few steps away, and hear him continue behind me.
"You know, I am impressed that you did so well today! Maybe next, we could do some real damage!"
"What exactly would that be?"
"Oh I don't know... Hiding a bomb... Threatening a group of people... Shooting someone... You know, normal stuff."
"Normal? Since when is that stuff normal?"
"You know Lane, I'm starting to get the feeling you aren't having fun out here. Even after everything I've done for you. Do you want me to kill the girl? Because I sure will, if keeping her here isn't doing any good."
"No! Don't kill her! Please."
"Well, if you can't think of anything fun to do, I don't see what else we could do for entertainment."
"I do." A gruff voice coming from the shadows says.
Batman had come to save me.
Alright, hope you all enjoyed this one! I will get the next one up within the next couple days! I know you are all probably wondering what's gonna happen! :) What's Batman gonna do? Should he save her? Should she go with him? Opinions please!