Chpt.10
Two weeks with Selina. Livy seemed happier, and he was grateful that he didn't hear her cry at night anymore. She would always talk about how Selina and her would go to the mall or the Zoo, or they would catch a movie. Livy also learned some fighting moves from Selina, which Jason was surprised, yet happy to see when they were sparring again.
Two weeks. Jason thought.
Two weeks of Livy being happy. Two weeks of her having a mother figure. Two weeks of not crying herself to sleep at night. Two weeks of enjoying being an actual kid. Two weeks that I got to see her every day.
Jason crumpled the newspaper in his hands.
Then yesterday came.
Jason stared at the map of Gotham he had unfolded onto a table.
"Livy. Where are you?" he whispered. "Where the hell are you!"
The newspaper's headline stated in bold lettering:
The Joker Strikes Local Mall One Girl Kidnapped
~*~*~*~*~The Day Before~*~*~*~*~
"Do you ever think my breasts will grow?" Livy inquired as she and Selina were walking throughout the mall.
"What?" Selina questioned in shock, unsure if she had heard the questioned correctly.
"Do you think my breasts will ever grow?" Livy repeated the question.
"Kitten, you're going to be ten soon, why are you worrying about this now?" Selina inquired, and the girl just shrugged.
"I dunno. You have big breasts, and Kor'i had big breasts, and you're both beautiful, so I was just wondering…" Livy trailed off and Selina place a comforting hand on the girl's shoulder.
"You'll get your boobs when you get older." She chuckled. "And also, it's not the size of boobs that make you beautiful, it's how you carry yourself." Selina informed.
Livy looked at how the woman was carrying herself. Shoulders rounded back, head up and proud, a look on her face that almost said 'try to defy me. I dare you.'
Livy smiled, and held herself in the same way.
"Not only do you look beautiful, but you look strong too." Selina stated, and Livy liked the feeling.
"Now, let's get some Thai food, I don't know about you, but I'm starving." Selina said with a small laugh, and Livy nodded. She didn't eat lunch before she went to Selina's apartment, so she was hungry.
There suddenly was a loud Bang sound and Selina was on the ground, clutching her ribcage.
"Selina!" Livy exclaimed through the screams of civilians.
"Awww look at you! All grown up." Livy felt her hair stand on end and her blood run cold. She knew that voice, no matter how much she wished that she could forget it. The Joker's voice.
Livy was frozen over Selina's body. She didn't want to turn around and face the man.
People were screaming as Joker's goons ran around smashing and destroying things, creating chaos and panic. But Livy didn't hear any of the screams. All she could hear was her heart beat, Selina's shallow breaths, and Joker's laughter.
"Don't be rude, face me!" exclaimed the man.
Livy slowly turned around and was face to face with the man who took away her Mommy.
"That's a good girl." Joker grinned. "I always remember a face. You were the kid who helped stitch up my shoulder when I got shot that one time. You were such a good little nurse." He chuckled.
"Y-you killed my Mommy!" Livy exclaimed as she got into a fighting stance, but two of Joker's goons came up from behind her and held her still.
"How rude of you to accuse me of such a thing." Joker gasped dramatically. He got up in Livy's face. "I simply gave her an injury. It was you who failed to save her in time." He chuckled. Livy shook her head as tears streaked her cheeks.
"Come now. No tears." Joker smiled as he dabbed the girl's cheeks with a handkerchief. "You couldn't help it. You were just too late. That's just how life is, isn't it? All it takes is one bad day, and your life is changed forever." Joker whispered, then sang in a taunting voice, "Too late. Too late. Too late."
"I HATE YOU!" Livy screamed as she spat in Joker's face.
"So rude. You remind me so much of a boy a killed." He mumbled as he wiped off her spit with his handkerchief. "You just need to be taught a lesson." He informed.
Sirens rang out in the distance, and Joker looked at the little girl.
"Maybe later." He smirked, then sprayed knockout gas out of the flower in his tuxedo into Livy's face.
The girl blinked several times, but then her entire body went slack and she was subdued by the gas.
Selina tried to get up, but was kicked in the face by one of Joker's goons when she tried to move, knocking her out.
When Selina came to, she was in a hospital bed, with Roy standing next to her.
"Is Livy alright?" Selina questioned with concern. Roy sighed and looked at her sadly.
"Jason is tearing the city apart looking for her. He wanted me to tell you that he doesn't blame you for this. He knows you were shot at first. He knows that you were knocked unconscious. He knows that nobody would be expecting Joker to attack a mall. He doesn't blame you at all." Roy informed. "Now that you know, I'm going out to help look for her."
"Did he try to contact Batman?" Selina inquired.
"Yes." Nodded Roy. "Batman and Robin are currently on a mission in the Sudan. Nightwing is tied up in Bludhaven, and Batgirl is with Nightwing. Red Robin is handling things with the Titans in some classified location." Roy sighed. "It doesn't look good."
~*~*~*~*~Back to Present~*~*~*~*~
Jason walked into Selina's hospital room. The woman would usually scowl at him with hatred, but when she looked at him, it was a look of concern.
"Have you found her?" she inquired. Jason shook his head, but didn't want to say the word 'No' out loud.
"Did Joker leave an clues? Anything at all?" Jason questioned. Selina looked at him sadly.
"Nothing."
Jason took in a deep breath, and punched the wall in anger. Something that just made him want to shoot someone even more because of the memory of why he didn't punch walls anymore. Because it scared Livy.
"She can't be dead." Jason whispered. "She's not dead. She's not dead." He whispered over and over again, making him sound deranged.
"Jason hand me your cell phone." Selina commanded, and Jason did so without thinking about it.
Selina quickly dialed a number then put the phone to her ear.
"Ivy? This is Selina. Remember Martha's kid? She was just captured by Joker." Selina paused. "Alright. Make sure to contact Nigma and he'll help look for her too. And contact Penguin and tell him to send his lackeys out to search for her. He owes Martha this. Try to find any of Martha's old clients and friends and spread the word. We need to find her before Joker kills her." Selina explained. "Thank you." She hung up the phone and looked up at Jason.
"Livy is not going to die."
~*~*~*~*~At Joker's Hideout~*~*~*~*~
"Y'know, I've heard that leaving someone in the dark for days would drive them mad. Isn't that interesting?" Joker's voice boomed in Livy's ear. She shuddered and curled up tighter in a ball.
She was in a dark small box. That was all she knew. But that box would stab her with needles and sometimes fill with water and not drain until she thought she was about to die.
"I wonder if I can drive you mad like this. I bet I can." Joker's voice chuckled. "It'll be fun. Like slowly unwinding a ball of string." He laughed. She felt the box shake slightly and Joker singing,
"Baby girl lets her mommy die. Baby girl lets her mommy die. Blood soaked the baby girl's hands. Blood soaked the baby girl's hands. Baby girl lets her mommy die. Baby girl lets her mommy die."
Livy sobbed and screamed, but she couldn't get Joker's taunting voice out of her head.
Baby girl lets her mommy die. Baby girl lets her mommy die. Blood soaked the baby girl's hands. Blood soaked the baby girl's hands. Baby girl lets her mommy die. Baby girl lets her mommy die. All her fault. All her fault. All her fault…