Chapter 11: Joker Face

Over the next week, Allegra had grown accustomed to hanging more with the boys, especially when she'd drawn in favor of causing Victor the worst pain possible. The prescription drug she had given to him worked as far as the pain was concerned and that shut him up for a good while until the infection had dwindled. After that, the bottle had been used up and there was no more relief for the man on the couch. He was getting back to normal though, talking to Kyle, James, Bear, and occasionally Specs, who had become another part of the group. Specs was awfully quiet, moreso than what was usual for a homeless man. It took a long while before he actually started speaking to the men like he was actually one of their own, rather than a simple man pulled from the streets.

Allegra mothered him in like a hen with a newfound chick, and so Specs became one of the frequent happy ones. Kyle, who had become accustomed to Allegra's attractive motherly type saw her no longer as some eye candy; her gentle words at night and her useful tactics to toughen him up (slapping him across the face when he started crying about his lost parents and how he was never loved; she told him to grow a pair) and simple go-to parenting (she hugged him afterwards), Kyle was completely drawn to her.

Victor still didn't like her. After all, Allegra had shot him.

Bear, James, Kyle, Specs, and Victor all sat a month later on the couch. No knee injury to make any excuse as to why they couldn't get up and do something else. Allegra retreated upstairs to Joker's lair (his office) when they started hollering and making wolf whistles at some newfound porno site; that, she found disgusting. Allegra walked up the stairs, barred in heeled boots, black pants, and a red tee shirt. Her hair fell down her shoulders, even more when she bent over to pick up a pair of Kyle's pants and Bear's helmet to his bad-ass Harley that stayed hidden behind the house.

She put these items on a table in the middle of the hall before knocking on the door of Joker's office. Just inside, the aforementioned man stood over a desk, arms outstretched to the sides while he looked down at a blueprint of something—odds are, it was a bank. Allegra heard a lot of 'bank' talk from Victor, enough she reckoned that was the next target. Her dark eyes cast over Joker's loose tie and collared shirt, and a smile curved her mischievous lips when she heard him breathe irately.

"If you're going to linger in the doorway, you may as well enter," Joker told her without turning his head. "It's rude to hang around entrances."

Allegra obliged, coming around him to look at the blueprint.

"What is this?" Allegra asked, gesturing to the print.

"What do you think?" Joker returned, sounding annoyed.

"I'm sorry—should I leave you two alone?" asked Allegra coolly. She gave him a smile, showing she was kidding. "What's made you all grumpy?"

"Nothing makes me grumpy," Joker told her. "But since you've asked—this is a blueprint to the first National bank."

Allegra clicked her tongue saying knowingly, "A mob bank."

"Exactly," said Joker. He gestured to the far end of the map where clearly the vaults were intertwined with alarm systems, magnets, and electric fences to the other end which was the entrance of the bank, where all the cashiers aligned in simplistic money rows. "One of the largest banks, there is."

"You're going to rob a mob's life savings?" asked Allegra; she didn't sound so much as incredulous as she did skeptical.

"Not single-handedly." Joker returned quietly. He gave the map a curious overglance then to her, he said, "I had been planning on using the boys for this operation but it's so hard to find good help these days...useful help, anyway."

"So send Victor."

Allegra grinned when Joker's lips curved into a suppressed smile, but after a moment, it revealed completely. He looked up at her.

"For once, Allegra, I'm being quite serious."

Allegra stepped towards him, leaning against the desk with her lower back, crossing her arms. She said softly, "So was I."

Joker gave her another grin, but it was more subtle. He placed his hands on the front of the map—the rooftops.

"I gave it a good look around before I mapped this out," said Joker.

"I didn't think you like plans."

"I make plans—it doesn't mean I get my underwear tied in knots when my plans do not necessarily work out. Improvisation is one of my better talents," said Joker smoothly. He put his hand under Allegra's chin, brushing her jawline with his thumb in a soft gentle caress, adding, "It's one thing to be just ahead of the curve, and quite another to attempt to control what people simply can't."

Allegra smiled dopely when he stroked his thumb over her cheek, then tapped it hard enough she made soft 'Oof' but it was gentle enough it didn't completely hurt. Joker looked at her pointedly.

"Am I going to be part of this little rump roast?" asked Allegra lightly. She gave an interested glance at the map.

"I should have known you'd want to be part of it," said Joker. "But yes—I'm planning on it."

"You shouldn't have," said Allegra, smirking at him. "Put Vicky on the front lines. He always said he wanted to make a big deposit."

"Not in this fashion."

"He wants a deposit," said Allegra. "They want a withdraw" (she indicated the other boys downstairs).

"What do you want?" asked Joker coolly, looking at her.

She smiled serenely.

"I want to blow up something." Allegra returned. She hopped on his desk, sitting on the edge. Joker strolled over to her, opening her legs so he stood between them. His hands laid on either side of her legs, on the desk. Allegra's eyes dilated.

"When this is over," said Joker smoothly, his hands moving from the desk to her thighs and upwards as he spoke, "I may have to keep you just for my stress management."

"Buy a stress ball," Allegra joked.

He laughed quietly, saying, "I'm afraid it doesn't have the same affect."

"Humor does," said Allegra. "Laughing reduces stress."

"That, it does," Joker returned. He had a moment's thought. "Come with me. I have something I want to show you."

"Something I've already seen?" asked Allegra, an impish grin curving her lips.

"Not exactly." He took her hand and pulled her beside him, moving them into the bathroom. She watched him go through the medicine cabinet, told her to look away for a few minutes and not to peek. Allegra did as she was told, looking at the interesting tile work of the bathroom floor before Joker instructed for her to turn around.

"I don't see what this has to do with humor..." Allegra began; she turned, and then she was at a loss for words.

Joker had put on his face. Literally. A new face greeted her. The scarred lips were mess of red lipstick; his dark eyes were etched in charcoal rings of shoe polish, and his face in general was caked in white greasepaint. It went spiffy with the green dyed hair that Allegra didn't really understand to begin with, but it certainly completed the look. Allegra stared at him, at first shocked, then she smiled.

"Clown," she muttered curiously enough.

"Yes," Joker replied. "What do you think?"

"Funny." Allegra stated. "Although exceptionally morbid."

"Good," said Joker, licking his lips out of habit. He looked in the mirror, pleased with his appearance. Allegra appeared behind him; her arms went around his waist.

"Morbid," she whispered, "and yet, to me...very sexy. I do have a thing for clowns."

Joker glanced at her reflection then turned his head to see that the ear-to-ear grin was back on her face. 'The' look. He could only grin at her, which made the red smile match the length of hers.