Knock Knock Chapter 7, a batman begins/dark knight fanfic

I'd like to thank all of you who reviewed the earlier chapter. You really make my day.

Disclaimer: I do not own Batman or any of it's characters.

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Chapter seven

"Guns don't kill people — people do"

From the moment he stepped into my room, the atmosphere had gradually changed from my own normal, sincere and controlled status into what now felt like tense, cold and scarcely silent status. I suppose I had taken his existence for granted – I had only considered and never studied him possibly seeking me out and kill me. I couldn't even begin to guess how he had managed to come over the information of my whereabouts, but it would make some sense if he had killed or threatened himself to it. Well, it didn't really matter, because he had already found me and stood right in front of me.

The air between us was melancholy thick, and suddenly I found it hard to breath.

I watched him move clumsily and yet swiftly to my table he pressed the button on my player and the music stopped. I hadn't realised that it was still playing. Then he pulled out a chair and put it in the middle of my room. I saw his head slowly turning, his eyes concentrated on me, who was propped up in the corner. I only got a small glance of his ghoulish smile before I turned my eyes down. I dared not observe any further.

I closed my eyes hard. ´Now's the time for that invisibility superpower I've always wished for.´

The letters we had exchanged had been adventures for myself, never have done anything like it. I sneaked a quick glance at him. The letters had been thrilling, but this was a clear overdose. And clearly it was stupid and irresponsible of me. I had put my own and my family's life at risk.

I gathered strength and courage and finally raised my eyes to study the man before me. He was taller than I had expected, and he did look very well trained to have been locked up in a room in Arkham all these months. His clothes were wet, due to the rain outside, and the fabric was clenching to his chest, showing of the muscles I never would have imagined he had.

Mentally slapping myself I reminded myself that he was a dangerous killer and not a museum artefact to stare at all day. But it was hard to not look at this remarkable man and admire the unconventional manner. The sight of him was… beautiful. I had never seen anything like him before. His eyes, the face, the hair and his posture – everything seemed to relate or his whole image would perish, almost like an orchestra. Every instrument was needed to create one perfect sound. And to me – he was perfect.

His gloved hand still rested on the arm of my chair, and his chest was rising and sinking – he was breathless. I looked up at his face again, and this time I saw something by his mouth. Scars? Each scar was running from the corners of his mouth, to the middle of his cheek, but it was harder to spot them due to the layers of make-up he had put on. There was a chance he had inflicted the scars to himself, all though I could never imagine why. Suddenly like I hadn't known of it before, I felt his eyes on me. I stiffened and slowly raised my eyes to meet his.

´Brown´… I thought.

Everything from that moment felt like a dream, so unreal, and yet closer to reality than anything else. It didn't make sense. All I knew was that he was standing in front of me and staring at me. Me! I knew deep inside of me, that I wanted this. He was the desire of my heart; I wanted him to look at me. I wanted him to see me. And now that I had him here, I didn't know what to do with him.

Just then he took a step forward, I gasped and flinched pressing myself further to the wall, but there was no escape. I saw him shake his head and chuckle a little over my reaction. He bend over as if he was going to pick up something, but instead he was holding his right hand to his chest and the other one was stretched out in the air. I realised that he was bowing.

"Good e-vening… G."

My eyebrows twitched together once when I heard his voice. It sounded light, almost to light to be coming from a man. Not only that his voice held a hint of some kind of friendly tone. But there was a greasy smoothness as well that faltered it, and somehow I could hear the small tone of a very unstable man

He made a sudden move again, and to my disappointment I flinched like a coward once more. I wasn't usually nervous and afraid. But this man was intimidating. He chuckled once more, and moved to the side of the chair scratching his chin, made a small nod to the chair. "C'mere." he only had to say nonchalantly to me to make me understand that he had pulled out the chair for me.

I stared stupidly at the chair as if I didn't know how to use it, took a step forward and looked sceptically up at him. My instincts told me to confront him, but it wouldn't help me. Even though he felt threatening to have him inside my house, I could do nothing about it. He was taller than me, and obviously weighed twice my weight and he looked a lot stronger than me. Oh, yes I could confront him, if I wanted to die that is.

I sighed in defeat and finally sat down on the chair.

He made a small sound that contained a tone of satisfaction, while he slowly started to circle me. Strangely enough I could feel his eyes roam all over me, and it disturbed me to not know what he was thinking about. What was he planning?

I tried to look at him when he was behind me, but every time he peeped forward in the corner of my eyes I diverted him. He stepped closer, making me lean from him uncomfortably. Then he did something I never had expected in a million years. He grabbed a curl of my hair, but softly without making the roots hurt and he leaned forward, took in the sent and then he clicked with his tongue and continued circling me.

My eyebrows rose to the air, and I was blinking confused. What was up with him?

He started to whistle and stepped up so that I could see him, and he held out his arms turning in circles to show me his form. "Well, Gloria?" he said when he had stopped. "Do I..uh.. live up to your expectations?" He looked down at me, now with an intense look.

I remained silent. "Oh, no you're a bloody failure.", I thought sarcastically.

He backed up to the wall, leaned back at it while putting his hands in his pockets. The whole gesture looked so natural and human, that I couldn't suppress a smile.

He licked his lips and clicked with his tongue. "Well… uh… you're not exactly what I expected. Thought you were going to be-" He cleared his throat as if he was embarrassed to say it. "… older."

My smile disappeared as fast as it had come. I couldn't believe me ears from that second on. "Bloody moron" I thought very upset and I didn't know if my feelings where exposed through my eyes, I tried to hide it but he chuckled when he looked at me. I knew I wanted revenge, and the only way to do that was to give him an insult back. Perhaps even a better one than he gave me. "Well" I said with a very conceited look on my face. "Your not exactly my type either."

I thought he was going to kill me after my comment, but he held a finger towards me and waved it playfully. "Your…a smart little girl." With a very strange look on his face he pointed his fingers to himself. "I appreciate smart people. Do you know why?"

I took my eyes away from him. I wasn't really ready to have a conversation with an Arkham patient.

"Hey… Look at me…." He said calmly with a low voice, but it still sounded firm and steadfast. I didn't refuse him.

"So… "he said flipping something he was holding in his hand. "Let's start from the beginning. You… saw the add in the newspaper... hmm? Well, that was a little trick my psychiatrist was playing on me. We don't have to worry about Allman anymore though." He chuckled.

As if I was trying to act like I cared I nodded.

"Well…" Joker said with a cheerful voice. He straightened his back and pointed what he was holding in his hand to me. "I had a real boring time in there, that was until you paid a little attention to me." I could hardly hear his words, I only saw the flip knife he was holding in his hand that was currently pointed towards me and tried to figure out how he managed to take it out without me noticing anything. Was I really that inattentive?

"So I thought that it would be fun sending a letter back, don't ya think?" He looked at me as if he expected an answer; almost like a little disappointed child he lowered his arm and his look changed into a doubtful one. "You've got it don't you?"

My eyes trailed to my bed where my bag was and he followed my eyes and as if he understood what I meant he lit up again and continued speaking. "Well, I was thinking all of the time… who would ever want to write to me?" He leaned back and laughed, but it was a soft laugh. "Not even my mother writes to me… well, that's not so strange: she's dead… but you see I thought about it." He sat himself comfortably on the chair and looked at me with a serious look on his face and he was holding his finger to his forehead. "I thought, and thought about it… and then!" He made a gesture throwing his arms out. "It suddenly came to me… only a stupid person would do this. Someone like you."

I was confused. He started off calling me smart and then suddenly he labels me as stupid…

"But then… I read your letter over and over again and I realised that I was dealing with something more. I was dealing with someone who was… let's say … interested in my work."

My mouth popped open. Would he actually for even one second think that I was actually admiring him for killing people? I closed my mouth and slowly shook my head. "Your so wrong…" I almost whispered.

"No, no." He said shaking a finger. "Let me explain. I don't think your the type who… uh… sheds blood, see I can tell when a person has a seen a dead body or not. And your not one of them sweetheart."

He licked his lips and pointed both fingers to himself. "See, I know you're curious about me. I get to people. Quite often… and I know that you… and I… were going to have so much fun."

I opened my mouth to say something hoping that it would be able to make my current situation into a more controlled and stable one, but as unlucky as I was he started saying something as well. I stopped abruptly, as did he as if mimicking what I did. I bit the side of my cheek to keep me from speaking my mind. You see, interrupting people is very rude, and I usually won't take it. But because he was insane and all, I guess he deserved a little special treatment and the make-up did raise his status higher on my list… just the tiniest. To tell you the truth, I didn't know that very much about him at all, I didn't think anybody else did ether – all that had been exposed of him to me was on his surface. Who know what really was deep inside of him? Safe to say, all that I knew was that he was a danger to me and to himself – but in some kind of freaky and twisted way – I liked it.

Funny, huh?

I didn't notice the smug smirk that grew on his face. It was hardly noticeable under the red colour that covered his whole mouth area and some parts of his cheeks. He flicked his hand towards me, encouraging me to begin, though I didn't register the message until a few seconds later. I felt utterly stupid and embarrassed. Disturbed, I started to blame him for dazzling me all the time and blaming him for being the reason I felt so unsure of myself. He was actually throwing me to my death.

Thanks – Clownhead.

Fate played a cruel joke on me, just when I was about to begin with my point I just had to glance up to see the smirk still playing on his lips. Even though I found myself in this awkward situation, I actually found the nerve to smile as well. Somehow, this criminal, this man affected me, but I wasn't sure how yet. I harkled and then I did the mistake to look straight into his eyes. The dark brown orbs seemed to look through me, as if he was burning a whole through my skull. I found the pitch-black colour smeared around his eyes suiting him well. It made his eyes shine, and the white turn into glowing half-moons. To be honest –I loved it. Not that I was mentally noting how to apply my make-up next time. It just… intrigued me.

I remembered suddenly that he was still waiting for my answer and I felt the embarrassment wash over me again. Of course I still put the blame on him, it actually helped a little. As if letting go of the situation, I did what I usually did when someone gave me a question. I said exactly what I was thinking: "Could you by any chance leave and go back to, er… wherever it is you belong?" Mentally I was hinting for Arkham, and something told me by the look of his eyes that he knew it as well. Perhaps I would be better of from now on taking caution?

His smirk disappeared and rose a shaking hand in the air, gesturing what I assumed was like a mad man. "Now why would I suddenly do that, Gloria?" he answered too snapping for me to relax.

I braided my fingers together, like some kind of "good" therapist would and swiftly threw one of my legs over the other. "Well" I said and then tucked my bangs behind my ears. "I'm not that accustomed with letting strangers into my home."

"We're not strangers." I heard him say but I decided to continue.

"Where as you seem to have no temporary issues with it."

He had been looking around my room, studying the environment he was in. He gave a little chuckle and gripped the cup with Captain Sugar that was on my table. "Issues" he mimicked me with a rather light voice.

I felt how my cheeks flushed and I knew I was blushing. I decided I wanted my revenge. "But, were all different, aren't we?"

His eyes darted to mine, just almost when I had finished the sentence. That definitely caught his attention. His eyes crumpled together in a way I had never seen before, giving me a reasoning look. "Different… hm?"

"Yes, were all different."

He shook his head, pointing to me with his fingers. "You were hinting to me, sweetie. Don't try to escape. Now define… different?

I swallowed. Perhaps it had been a mistake to do this…

"Not normal?" That was only half an answer and I knew it. But it's hard to answer someone's questions, when you don't really know what they're looking for. Besides, he obviously wanted to hear something different from me.

He tilted his head to the side, watching me with his dark eyes. He absorbed all of me, or at least that was what I felt like when he was looking at me. The look on his face was clearly not amused, his eyes thinned while he brought a spoon full of Captain Sugar to his mouth. He chewed slowly still with his eyes on me. Beneath all the silence between us I could hear his chewing, and his slow breaths.

I decided to be the one to break the silence. "I'm sorry-"

"Do you even know what normal is, G? Hm?" Joker cut me of again and brought another spoon of Captain Sugar to his mouth.

I was totally unprepared for such a question; I hadn't counted on anything like it. I figured that was the thing with a person like The Joker. You never really know where you have him. But he was right. Obviously I had been brought up with the illusion that the kind of life I lived was normal and anyone who lived different from the way I lived was… completely foreign. As much as I hated to admit it… he was right. I didn't really know what normal is.

"It's a simple question, G" Joker urged me.

I looked away from his eyes. I could simply state that a normal person would be a person with a casual house, or apartment. With children, and partner or inmate. But deep inside I knew it was wrong.

Joker put the cup away and dragged his chair closer to mine, but not without me protesting mentally. He lifted his arms, as if trying to settle his suit correctly over his shoulders. He closed his eyes very quick before he looked at me again. "Don't do that."

He stretched his upper body to it's full length reminding me of how much taller than me he was. "You think… too much. Don't, don't do that." He gestured to the window. "They think too much… and I don't think you're like them."

I nodded, pretending to understand. I only understood a few fragments of what he was giving me, I could only assume that ´they´ had to be the government, the doctors, the cops. Everyone who tried to work against him. I only had to hope that he had already decided where I was, and I hoped that I was some kind of neutral party.

Joker lifted his hand and he hinted with his finger for me to come closer. I bent closer and as did he. "Do you know what thinking leads to? Hm?" he asked with a softer and a very smooth voice.

"Ideas?"

"Plans…" he said with a very low and serious voice. I listened intensively, truth to be told I wanted to hear the rest, so I didn't protest when one arm came forth to the side of my head and started to stroke and play with one of my curls. "And do you know the thing about plans?" he asked while nodding.

He started twisting one of my curls around his finger while he said with a sing-song voice: "Their so easy to turn around-" he suddenly pulled at the curl now that he had a very firm grip around it, pulling my head down with a hard tug. I gave a shriek of pain while he hissed with a dark voice: "- and manipulate."

I gave out another shriek and gripped his hand. It was voluntary. It was a defence mechanism. I react when I get hurt. My whole body stiffened when I for the first time felt skin on mine in direct contact. It surprised me a little bid that his hands would be so soft and so warm. I had always imagined killers as cold and icy people.

I glanced up into his eyes and I felt my cheeks flush with warmth again when he was giving me a look like he had know idea what I was doing. Then I realised that he was so very close to me, closer than ever. Even so close that I could see the forms of his scars. My eyes widened when I saw how brutally and uncarefully the wounds had been sown together.

"Ah… I'd love to stand like this more, sweetheart. It gives a very good view of your eyes. However, you do realise that I have work to do."

I scoffed and pulled my hair out of his grip. "That hurts, Mr J." It took only a few seconds for me to realise that I had called him by my invented nickname for him.

When I looked up he had seated himself again, he was holding the cup and spoon with each arm again. Then I realised the knife he had held a moment ago was gone. After scanning my room for it, praying that it wasn't safely in his pocket I spotted it on my table. It was only a few meters from me. What if I could… no… that would be suicide.

"You know, your really not what I expected, G. I thought that you would be one of those fat kids with big glasses, you know the ones who sit at their computers all day playing… I don't know… games?" He waved with his spoon and smacked with his lips. "I hate those kind of kids."

My eyebrows rose. No comments…

Joker suddenly had a confused look on his own face when he saw my look. He bent forward nodding enthusiastically. "Uh… It's a compliment."

Then something happened, something I would never have wished for in a million years. My phone started ringing.

Joker's cheek twitched when we both could hear the hardly audible sound of the intro of Mona-Lisa, The All-American Rejects. I closed my eyes and gave out a troubled sigh.

Joker on the other hand looked pretty amused when he looked at my bag, which was from where the sound was coming from. "Ah…" he pointed to my bed. "Aren't you going to answer that?"

I stood up, knowing that there was no point refusing him. I looked at the display when I had pulled it out of my bag, the number was unknown. Without waiting for his consent I answered. "Gloria Walkman."

"Good evening, Miss Walkman. GCPD Commissioner Gordon speaking."

I suppressed a gasp, and tried to smile. Why had he called my phone? My phone? Before I answered I thought quickly for a second. I put every puzzle bit together and then I knew that I could save myself from the Joker. I suddenly smiled. "Oh, hello Joey!"

"Miss...?

"Yes, I'm alright. No you're not disturbing anything, I just have a visitor over." I glanced at the Joker. He was giving me an intensive look, as if he was watching everything I did.

"I'm sorry, Miss I don't understand anything you are- is he there?"

"Yes… I know. We should play another card game sometime. Were just going to have to remember to pull out the wild cars before we begin-"

Suddenly the phone had been snatched out of my hand, and I automatically turned around to see who the perpetrator was. Joker gave me a death glare while he put the phone to his own ear. "Miss, miss?" Commissioner Gordon said.

Joker gave out a loud growl, before he ripped the phone open and completely destroyed it. While he was demolishing my phone I backed up to the wall again. I held out my arms out as a shield when Joker slowly turned around to look at me with one of the most frightening, insane looks I had ever been given by anyone. "You know, I'm disappointed in you, Gloria. I thought you were smart. But you're a bad girl."

My heart started pounding faster when I saw him advance on me. "I'm taking you somewhere safe" he clicked with his mouth and nodded to me. "Now that they know… that's the best thing we can do." Then he shot at me, but I made a dodge to the right. Joker growled at me and tried to grip my arm but he missed. I backed up while screaming to him for the first time. "You are not taking me with you! Anywhere is safer but with you…"

He brushed off some dirt from his suit and straightened himself, when he was done he looked at me again, his eyes telling me exactly what he thought of what I had just said. My heart pounded faster, and with a squeal I turned around when he started to advance me again. I ran up to my door, but before I could even touch the handle a pair of arms circled me and lifted me into the air.

I screamed and struggled against the Joker, but resistance was futile. He was stronger than I had suspected. I kicked with my legs hoping to meet a soft spot but there was no success, and I tried to make him let go off me by digging my nails into his arms but the fabric was in the way. He pulled me away from the door and threw me again "You're making things so difficult, G. But I enjoy a challenge." Joker breather at the side of my ear.

He threw me against the wall, so that I collapsed on the floor. My whole head ached due to the hard impact and when I tried to look up at him my vision was blurry. All I could see was a grey figure bending over me.

"Goodnight." I heard a voice call and I felt a sudden big pressure on my face. That's when my world went black.

So there you have it. I'm sorry haven't updated for very long, I've been fighting with this chapter so I'd really appreciate it if you reviewed. Everyone of you. It would be really great. Thanks.

Chrisse11