Chapter 11: The Changing Man

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Within ten minutes of posting chapter 10, I already had three or four views. Thank you all so much for your support on this endeavor. Hopefully, the majority of the chapters won't take four weeks to write, it should be easier now that chapter 10 is out of the way. Anyways, here's Chapter 11.

When Joker woke up the next day, TP was there waiting for him. He looked exhausted. There were dark bags under his eyes and his eyes themselves were dull. His green armor had a hole in the left breastplate, and Joker laughed. "Uhhh, late night?"

"Yeah," TP sighed. "I had to…" he stopped, realizing that he was talking to the clown. He had never done this before. He had always just sat there, watching Joker. TP blinked, then sighed. He moved his cloak to his side and then basically sank to the floor. His mouth opened, then closed. For well over a minute, the teen simply sat there, thinking. Joker waited patiently for a while, then frowned.

"Oh, come on, kiddo. We were getting along so well. Look, there's ahhh something I've been wanting to know. How did Batsy find you?"

TP laughed bitterly, and looked up at the freak in the cage. "Wouldn't you just love to know that." Joker bobbed his head up and down. TP sighed, and then caved. "Fine. I had heard a rumor that there was something valuable in a shipping container in Muigani Island. Valuable enough to feed all of us for at least a year."

Joker interrupted. "All of us?"

"I was part of a gang of orphans. Well, gang isn't the right word. We stayed away from the fights, just foraged for food and defended each other when we needed to. Other than that, we didn't get involved in those battles." Jason laughed. "There was this girl, Samantha. She was the funniest person I've ever met. And pretty too. We had… Anyways, I went to the place on Muigani. Small facility, but sure enough, there was a shipping container in it. Sitting inside of that was a motorcycle. Ohh, was it pretty. Black and sleek, I've never seen anything like it. I couldn't take the thing itself, so I managed to get the tires off, and planned to return for the rest later. I turn around," TP is laughing, "there he was. Batman. And he looked pissed. I dropped the tires and ran like hell, pretty sure I had seen a ghost".

Joker laughed as if this was the funniest statement he had ever heard. "Wai, ha, haha, wait. Let me hehehe guess the rest. He uhh followed you. Tracked you down and was going to beat you up. But ahhh, he noticed you were young, and took pity on you".

TP nodded. "Yeah. He took me to his headquarters and trained me. Gave me everything I needed." Tp laughed, "He even let me keep the tires. Said I should keep them as a souvenir".

Joker frowned, or at least tried to. The scars prevented him from fully doing so, but he clearly was trying. "I ahh blew up his Batmobile, and he didn't let me keep that. Shame, that thing looked like sooo much fun to drive. Well at least it did before I hit it with a bazooka". He laughed violently at his joke, jaw opening so wide it seemed like it would be painful.

TP looked at him oddly, curious. Joker had slipped. He had told him about something that was 100% true. He could use the way Joker had been talking and acting as a validity test for future statements. Quickly covering up his look, he prayed that Joker either hadn't noticed, or would assume that it meant something else.

Joker ended up going with the second, "That car was that strong" he sneered. "Wait. One question, TP. How long was Batsy in Gotham? Even Bats couldn't have trained you in a day". He flicked his head to the side, clicking his tongue.

TP glared at him for a moment, irritation shining through his eyes. "Stop calling me TP. Call me Robin". He stood up, black cape whispering as it brushed across the floor. "He had been back for nearly three months before taking on Bane." He looked at Joker again. "Well, visiting hours are just about finished. I'll come back tomorrow".

Joker realized that he was actually disappointed by this. He smiled, hiding the sudden, surprising emotion. "Goodbye, TP".

The teenager spun around, and stiffly walked out without another word.

Over the next two weeks, Robin visited every single day. Eventually, Joker even relented and started to call TP by the name he had requested for Joker to call him. Robin would stay for an hour, and towards the end of the second week, began to stay until he was ushered out by guards. Joker began to enjoy these visits, and went so far to ensure that this visits continued, that he toned down his treatment of the guards.

Even Warden Zabot noticed this change in the feared criminal. The green-haired man had suddenly become kinder, a puppy compared to what he had been before. Eight years of every method of treatment to cure his insanity been a failure,actually resulting in Joker becoming even more demented during that time period. And here, a kid- barely into puberty- was doing what they could never manage.

She wondered what would happen if she introduced another element into play. Perhaps Joker would open up more in this time of weakness. Maybe, maybe not. She decided to wait a couple of days, then come to a decision.

Warden Zabot wasn't the only one who was watching the Joker and Jason. Dick Grayson was down in the Batcave, watching footage on the massive computer screen. Glowing letters and numbers running down the left side of the screen hid his actions from the security in Arkham. He had hacked into the security camera system inside of the madhouse with the help of his girlfriend, Barbara Gordon. He had watched every minute of interaction and conversation between the bird and the clown, and was worried. He heard footsteps behind him, and spun his big, black, curved chair to face the intruder. Although granted, this wasn't technically an intruder. The well-dressed older British gentleman looked at the man in the imposing chair, and then at the footage at the screen. "I see you're still watching the two, sir." He looked at Dick. "How do you think Master Todd would feel if he knew you were spying on him?"

Dick shrugged. "Honestly, Alf, I don't care. Bruce told me right before he… left, that the Joker was the greatest enemy he had ever faced. Even worse than Bane. And I'm worried. Jason thinks he's getting into Joker's head, and I think he's right. But… he's been talking more than Joker has. I think Joker's playing him".

Alfred looked at the screen, where Joker was talking. The voice was the same as before, but the tone and pace was different. More like that of a normal person. "With all due respect, sir- What if you're wrong?" He sighed. "When Bruce first started his crusade, I watched him as much as I could. When he was out there, I was connecting to any camera that would allow me to see where he was. I couldn't see him most of the time, but as long as I knew where he was, I knew I could come and get him if anything went wrong".

Dick stared at him. He had never heard this before. "Eventually, I learned to trust his abilities. Trust that he knew what he was doing. And he did. He got hurt sometimes, but always knew his limits- even if he denied that he had any. Maybe you need to trust in Jason's abilities. Personally, I think he's doing well." He shrugged, and straightened his black suit.

The man in the chair closed his eyes and considered. Without realizing it, he grabbed one of his batons and started throwing it into the air and catching it. A habit that he had obtained years earlier. As the baton whipped into his opened hand, his eyes flew open. "Fine. We give him two days. Then he takes a break from this. I trust him. Not the Joker".