A shiver runs through her as she begins to come to. It's so cold. Where am I? What's going on? Ugh. My head is killing me. She reaches up a hand to rub the back of her head, feeling a thin structure behind her. She opens her eyes to piercing white light from above. White walls surround her. She squints her eyes shut again, placing both hands over them, rubbing them harshly. What the hell is going on? Am I in a padded cell? She smakes her lips softly God I'm thirsty. She tries to swallow, only to find her throat too dry.

Slowly opening her eyes again, keeping her left hand above her eyes to shield from the blinding light, she see's a small white table with a large glass of water and two oatmeal raisen cookies resting on it. Quickly she stands, only to become dizzy and plop ungracefully back into the chair, her head spinning. Okay, slowly then. She tries again, this time making it to the table.

Leaning on the small structure with a circular base, she gulps the water down quickly, wiping her mouth the back of her hand. Then eating the cookies quickly as her stomach growls loudly. After devouring every crumb she could find, she makes her way to a wall. It's not padded, it feels like cement...Where am I? She walks around the room, her right hand gliding against the slightly bumpy wall, until she comes to a door. No door nob? She tries to fit her fingers between a tiny crack between the door and the doorway. What am I doing? I can't open this, why am I even trying? She makes her way back to the chair and sits back down. Am I going to spend the rest of my life here? She looks up at the lights to see a small camera in the back left of the corner. A small ray of hope jumps in her heart. She walks over to the camera and stands directly in it's sights.

"Hay!" She yells at it, "What's going on? You need a reason to keep me in prison by law. What's the reason?"

As if on que, the white door at the other end of the room begins to open. Quickly, she turns around, seeing the black figure from before. Her heart beat and breathing sky rockets. Her feet and hands become cold and clammy. Her mind goes blank as she backs away.

"Take a seat," He grumbles gruffly, standing behind the small table. She simply shakes her head slowly, "You don't need to be afraid, I won't hurt you if you don't give me a reason,"

"How do I..." She takes a breath, "I know you're telling the truth?" She stutters out, slowly creeping toward the chair, feeling it's the only thing protecting her.

"You don't,"

"Why am I hear?"

"I'll be asking the questions,"

"Then we'll be here a while, because I want answers to,"

The man falls silent as if waiting for something. After what seemed like hours to her, but only two minutes to him, "Did you enjoy the cookies?"

"Yes," She whispers wishing she could have more as her stomach growls.

"Do you want more?"

"Yes," The man turns his back to her as the door opens and a small tray of cookies appears in the small crack.

"Do you want something to drink?" She smakes her lips again, thirst again preventing her from swallowing. She nods her head and again, a tray appears through a small crack in the door, this time with another glass of water, "I'm not going to hurt you,"

"I don't trust you at all," Against her better judgment, she begin inching forward, staying close to the ground like an animal, "You hurt me for no reason before,"

"You blew up a building, killing nine people, injuring twelve others,"

"I didn't do that," She stops in her tracks upon the information.

"Then who did?"

"I don't know,"

"Why were you holding the button?"

"I don't know,"

"What do you know?"

"That I'm trapped here, and I'm afraid of you,"

"What is your name?" He holds out the glass of water to her. Slowly, she grabs it, then retreats back behind the chair, gulping it down quickly.

"Jade Clines,"

"How old are you?"

"Sixteen,"

"Have you always lived in Gothem?"

"No,"

"Where else have you lived?"

"In a small town in Wisconsin called Clintonville,"

"How long have you lived in Gothem?"

"Less than a month,"

"What brought you here?"

"I was looking for my father."

"Was? Did you find what you were looking for?"

"Yes,"

"Is your mother with you?"

"No,"

"Why not?"

"She's dead,"

"What did she die from?"

"Cancer,"

"How long have you known your father?"

"Less than a day,"

"Do you know what day it is?"

"Yah, it's Saterday, November thirtieth,"

"You've missed three days,"

"What?" She yells fresh fear gripping her heart as she grips the back of the chair, her knuckles turning white, "Then, it's Tuesday...My job! Oh my God! How am I going to pay rent if I don't have a job?" Tears begin pricking her eyes as she puts her left hand to her head, again noticing her hair is so short, "My hair!" Tears begin racing down her face as she crumples into a ball on the floor, her right hand still holding the back.

"Where do you work?"

"I work at the grochrie store here in town in the bakery,"

"How long have you worked there?"

"Five days," She sniffles, trying and failing to regain her composure.

"What is your father's name?"

"Jack Niprel,"

"What is the last thing you remember?"

She looks up at him through a large gap in the chair right above the seat, "I remember..." She tries thinking back as a foggy memory makes itself known slowly, "I remember my hair getting cut by a creepy clown," Her left hand trails to her throat, feeling the slice of cold from the scissor's he held to her throat, "He threatened me that if I didn't do what he wanted, he would kill me," She begins crying anew, "He told me that I would do the biggest bank robbery this town has ever seen for him," She begins sobbing again, realizing she did just that, "I don't understand, why did this happen?"

"I'm not sure, but who you saw was more than likely Joker," Batman walks closer to her after putting the tray of cookies on the table, "He is a very dangerous man,"

She says nothing as he squats down to her level, a black mask concealing the majority of his face. A black cape fluttering loudly behind him, "You..." Her eyes grow wide with new fear, "You're death!" She screams loudly shoving the chair in his general direction that he dodges easily, "Your going to kill me!" She screams running to the left corner under the camera, "I'm not ready to die! I have so much left to do! I still have to spread my mother's ashes!"

"You need to calm down," He yells over her screams of terror, "I'm not going to kill you," He slowly advances toward her, "I just need to know if your a threat to this city,"

"No, I'm not. All I want to do is work at the bakery, making money so I can pay my bills. That's it," She wails cowering more into the corner with each step he takes.

"I'm going to let you go, but I need you to keep this on your person at all times," he hands her a small red flashing light, "I'm going to have you call your father and arrange for him to pick you up so you can put this whole situation behind you and live peacefully,"

"What is it?" She asks wiping the tears off her cheeks with the back of the sleeve to a shirt that doesn't belong to her.

"It's a tracker. If your ever in danger, just press the button and I'll come to help you if anything like this happens again," He holds his hand out to her, "Do you understand what I am telling you?" She nods her head as she slowly reaches out to take his hand.

Carefully he helps her up, lifts the chair to it's normal position and gently pushes her shoulders down for her to sit in it, "I'm going to grab a phone for you to use, I'll be right back," Again she nods, keeping her hands to her chest, trying in vain to calm her racing heart.

"Hello?" Her father's voice comes over the phone after she diels the number the man gave her.

"Hello, Jack?"

"Yes?"

"It's Jade,"

"Where have you been? Are you alright?"

"I think so, can you come pick me up at the post office?"

"Yes, I'll be there as soon as I can. Are you in any danger?" She looks up to the man as if searching for the answer in his eyes. He shakes his head no.

"No, I'm alright. I'll meet you there in ten minutes,"

"Alright," She hangs up the phone and hands it back to the man.

Thoughts race frantically through her head as he explains he needs to blind fold her to get her to the car.

As he guides her from behind, holding her shoulders gently, her breathing escalates rapidly, keeping her hands to her chest, "Watch your head," he places his hand on her head as he pushes her into the car lightly.

Once in, she hears a loud engine start up and the vibrations of the car as the tires squeal and echo, "Remember what I told you, if you ever feel like your in danger in the same way, push the button," She nods her head sitting stiff in the vehicle, "As for your job, I'll contact your boss and explain what happened, you're not loosing your job, so don't worry about that," She takes a small sigh of relief as the car gently rolls to a stop, "You can take the blind fold off," He instructs not getting out of the car or looking back, "Get out of the car and wait for your father to come. I hope I don't have to see you again in these circumstances,"

"Me either,"

"Put the coat on that's next to you, don't worry about giving it back, it's a gift,"

"Okay,"

"Be safe out there,"

"Yah, you to," She get's out of the car and ties the large trench coat straps in a knot as she waits for Jack to come.

She doesn't have to wait long for a red Toyota Corolla rolls up and Jack quickly gets out of the car.

"Are you alright?" He asks reaching out toward her. She shrinks away quickly and begins to shake, "Are you hurt?" Worry marks his face.

"I...I'm fine," She takes a deep breath to try to calm herself, "Ca...Can I stay with you for the day? I...I, don't want to be alone," She admits as her father's face relaxes to slight concern.

"Of coarse you can," He opens the door for her to get in, "Come on, get in," he closes the door to the back seat and sits in the driver's side. After ear deafening silence ensues between them for two miles, he looks in the rearview at her, "What happened to your hair?"

"Some crazy clown died it, then cut it off," She takes a shuttering breath, trying to hold back the tears.

"Here we are, how about I make you some tea to calm your nerves?" He asks helping her out of the car gently.

"That would be nice," Opening the door, he guides her to the couch, grabs a blanket and places it around her.

"You wait here, and I'll go make that," She nods her head and lays down, clutching the blanket around her chest for dear life.

Jack quickly brings a steaming cup of tea out to her along with a small jar of huny and a shaker of sugar, "here you go, be careful it's hot," He sets it down on the coffee table and takes a seat in the chair, "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, but where have you been for the past three days?"

"I don't know," She sits up and adds huny to the tea and begins stiring with a small spoon already in the cup.

"You look tired, I have a spare room here if you'd like to stay the night,"

"Yes, please," She begins drinking the hot tea, not caring as it burns her mouth and throat as she chugs the contents quickly.

"I'll take that for you, wait here and I'll get the room ready," She nods her head as she hands him the still hot cup.

A few minutes pass and Jack returns, "Alright, all ready for you," She stands slowly, still clutching the blanket like a life line.

Walking in, she see's a small bed in a tiny room, "I know it's not much, but it should do for the night," She nods her head and walks toward the bed, "I'll be up late if you need anything,"

"Alright, thanks," She lays down after he closes the door and quickly falls asleep. Exhaustion quickly taking hold after the turn of events.