Chapter 11: A Deal with the Devil
For the last couple of hours Mimi laid on the floor pondering on things. Why did Crane pick her to take part in a game? Was she ever going to get out of here? And, this would be a miracle, would The Joker save her? Wait, why do I always ask myself that? She asked herself. He doesn't care. I'm just a hostage to him, nothing more.
Mimi heard voices and the scuffling of feet outside her prison door. It sounded like they were moving things. She also heard Crane bark out orders to his henchmen. There was a hint of fear in his voice. Grunting, Mimi scrambled to her feet. Crane had some nurse come in to bandage her up and gave her some pain killers. Although her system had been drugged with pain killers, it was still a pain in the ass to walk much less move.
Nearing the door, she leaned on it for support but listened to those on the outside.
"Hurry up, we don't have a lot of time!" more dragging of stuff and yelling.
"Shut up all of you! Pack the equipment up. I'll get the girl." It was Crane's voice!
Sliding down the door Mimi awaited for him to come and retrieve her. The sound of jumbling keys and locks screeching made Mimi move away from the door. Crane, never mind, Scarecrow walked in. Peering through the mask, he grabbed her arm and rushed out. He placed her on some crates and told a much larger man something. The larger man disappeared for awhile but soon came back wheeling a TV and DVD player. He put it in her dark room and shut the door. Scarecrow didn't go to lock it but stuck a note on it instead. 'Open me.' it read. Scarecrow returned his attention to the worn out girl. Smirking under his mask, Crane lifted her up and gave her to the larger man who hoisted her upon his shoulder. "All right men, let's move before the freak show arrives!" Scarecrow bellowed. Freak show? Could he mean Joker? Mimi wondered as the large man carried her away.
They entered an elevator and waited for Scarecrow. He came running and punched in the floor he wanted. "Everything all set, Nate?" Scarecrow asked. The large guy, now known as Nate replied, "Yeah, boss. All ready." Scarecrow nodded in approval. "Please don't let it be a trap..." Mimi muttered. Scarecrow took Mimi's face in his hand. "Now don't you worry, Clown Princess. That psycho will get what he deserves." Scarecrow chuckled and released her head. For once Mimi actually hoped Batman would reach Joker before he stepped foot in here.
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(With Joker)
It was now starting to get dark and Joker waited impatiently for Batman to show up. Today he took over a TV station and warned Gotham that if he didn't get what was his back by tomorrow people and things would explode, starting with the station. Joker sat on the AC tossing the explosive charge back and forth between his gloved hands. It's all most been three days since he last saw or heard Mimi. Unbelievably....he was beginning to get lonely.
"Joker!" A hoarsh voice shouted behind him.
Giggling, Joker put away the detonator and replaced it with a knife. "Evening, Batsy!" Joker bounced up and down with excitement. He had missed his Batman almost as much as he missed Mimi. Wow, Batman has some competition now! Joker thought as he laughed.
"Enough with your laughing, Joker! What have you lost now?" Batman's deep voice asked. Joker licked his red lips. "Let me tell you a story. Couple of days ago, I was playing dress up and I thought I'd take my favorite doll with me. But not every kid is nice on the playground, Bat. While I was playing cowboy and Indians, some other kid took my doll away. And now, I just can't seem to find her."
"You mean Miss Hathaway? Joker, how could you lose a person?!" Batman yelled. Joker shook his head. "Were we not listening, Batsy? I said, someone took her from me. I was busy and I hate to babysit."
Batman rolled his eyes. "Joker, who took her?" Joker messed with his knife. "It would be, Crane-uh."
"Dr. Jonathan Crane?" Batman knew that Crane was still in business as the Scarecrow but, kidnapping? This didn't seem like Crane.
"Joker, this may be a dumb question, but are you sure that she's gone and that Crane took her?" Batman was aware that Joker was insane and may have overlooked Mimi or perhaps even forgot her.
Joker huffed and glared at Batman. "I'm not stupid. I know she's missing and I know who took her. It was Crane. I saw him." The Joker explained through clenched yellow teeth.
Batman sighed. This was going to be a long night. "Then if you know who took her then why hold this building hostage?" Joker cleared his throat. "I need you to uh, capture me." Batman cocked his head. Joker wanted to be caught?
"If I take you in, will you stay there?" Joker looked at the caped crusader. "Maybe if my doll is there." Batman shook his head. "Jail isn't lost and found, Joker."
The Joker giggled. "Who said jail?" Batman realized what he was getting at. Joker wants to go to Arkham! Crane used to work and be patient there but his time was up inside the asylum. Why would he stay?
Batman glanced at Joker. Mimi is with someone that could kill her with a dangerous toxin. But if he saves her and Joker gets a hold of her then she'll still be in danger. It doesn't seem like there's much of a choice.
"Joker," the green haired clown looked up. "You're under arrest!" Joker laughed. "Hahaha, thanks Batsy! You're such a good friend!"
The Dark Knight hti his forehead. Oh dear God what have I done? Batman thought in despair and frustration.
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Mimi was now sitting in the back of white van between Nate and Crane, who now had his mask off. The driver was actually obeying the speed limit and everything, unlike The Joker who whenever he ran over someone would exclaim, "100 points!! I win!" Mimi laughed a bit at that. Crane looked at her, "Find something amusing Miss Hathaway?" Mimi shook her head. "Nah, just an inside joke." "And here I thought The Joker was insane..." Crane mumbled under his breath.
Mimi cast a glare at the young doctor. "He's not insane, just on a different level of genius." She spat. Crane let out a laugh. "Genius? Oh my, you're funny. You actually think that clown is a genius? Haha!" Mimi's hands curled into fists. She may not her strength back at full notch yet, but there was a fire burning deep down. "At least he doesn't get caught..." Mimi muttered. Crane's laughter came to an end. "Pardon me, what was that?" Mimi gazed out the window giving him the silent treatment. "Brat!" Crane slapped her across the face. Mimi let out a whine. Nate look at Mimi then Crane and back at Mimi who had her head in his lap.
"Boss, you shouldn't hit a girl. It ain't right." Nate uttered. Crane scoffed. "What are you? A child? Shut up and keep your comments to yourself."
Nate just sighed. Sometimes he regretted ever working with the 'bad' crowd.
Mimi's head stopped spinning. She lifted her head and glared daggers at Crane. Again, Crane noticed her firey red eyes. Oddly, he felt a little intimidated.
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(Gotham GPD)
Commissioner Gordon was looking through some files when he heard that familiar insane laughter echo through the halls. Joker?! He rushed out of his seat and went to investigate. In the hall amidst all the police force and detectives, there stood Batman with the Clown Prince of Crime in handcuffs. Joker had some giggles still left in him. Batman noticed his tears of laughter mixing with the black paint. It look as if The Joker were crying black tears.
Joker glanced around him and looked back at Batman. "You sure are uh, fast at getting here." Batman said nothing.
"Aw, Batsy, not the silent treatment again!!" The Joker whined.
"Batman how did you...?" Gordon was dumbfounded.
"Oh, evening commissioner!" Joker smiled.
"The building is safe for now. He won't tell me where the charge is so, you'll need a bomb squad to deactivate the building's bombs." Batman explained. Heh, like they'll ever find the bombs. I hide them so well, even I couldn't find'em again! Joker proclaimed himself.
Gordon nodded. "Where do we send him?" Batman's eyes darted at Joker. "Actually, he has a request." Joker began giggling again but this time bouncing too. The older detective looked quizzically at Batman. Batman exhaled. "Tell him Joker."
Joker smiled again. "I wanna go to Arkham!"
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Mimi fell asleep but dared not to dream too long. Though she survived the toxin the nightmares were still intact. She soon realized that they were nearing a building. "Where are we?" Nobody answered. The driver pulled up and shut the engine off. Since she wasn't getting an answer, Mimi would figure it out herself. Looking around she saw that they were at GPD! "You're letting me go?" Crane shook his head. "No, we're just watching." Watching? Watching what?
Suddenly the doors were open and people gathered at the steps with camera's flashing and reports shouting questions.
"What's the big deal?" Mimi asked trying to peer over the crowd.
Her red eyes grew wide. She caught a glimpse of green and purple. It couldn't be...
"Joker!!!" Mimi screamed at the top of her lungs. Crane covered her mouth. "Be quite or I'll kill you right now, understand?!"
As if he had heard her, Joker looked at the van. Mimi struggled to get out of Crane's iron grip. Geez, for a nerd he sure is strong! Mimi scoffed. Getting pissed off at Crane, Mimi bit his hand so hard that it drew blood. "Ugh, stupid bitch!" Mimi tired to get the belt undone but Nate stopped her. "No, lemme go! Joker!!" she screamed again.
Joker knew he heard something coming from that van but he couldn't understand it. It was like someone was yelling. He kept his eyes locked on it. There was indeed something about that van. Gordon placed him inside the police car and they were off to Arkham. Joker looked back at the van once more. He felt like he shouldn't be leaving.
Mimi was now crying. "Agh, come back! Joker, Gordon, someone help me!!"
"Nobody is going to help you!" Crane shouted and the next thing Mimi knew, she was seeing black.
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Joker flashed a grin at staff members he could recognize. They shuddered and moved away. "Haha, that's right stay away. 'Cause I bite! Hahahoohehehaaha!" getting creeped out, the guards quickly got Joker to his cell. His purple suit, gloves, knives, and guns were taken away and replaced with a white T-shirt and pants. No one dared to wash off his war paint or try to take the green out of his hair. They drew the line there.
The Joker sat on his bed indian style and waited for his meds. Oh yippe...
But Crane and Mimi were lurking in his devious mind. His gut was telling him that he shouldn't have brushed off the van that easily.
His thoughts were interrupted by someone coming in. His brown eyes glanced up at who entered. A woman with shoulder length blonde hair and big innocent blue eyes stood in front of him with a small white cup. "Um, hello, I'm Harleen Quinzel. Dr. Arkham said it was time for your medication." she handed him the cup. Joker grinned like Cheshire cat about devour a fish. "Hi there, Harleen! Uh, could I call ya Harely?" he threw back his head and gulped down the meds. Harleen blushed. "Um, if you'd like. I don't mind." she glanced at the clipboard then back at the clown. "So you're the infamous Joker everyone is so terrified of." Joker giggled and nodded.
Harleen blushed again. She liked his laugh. "Says here that you kidnapped a young woman named, Mimi E. Hathaway. Is that true?"
Joker's eyes went dim for a moment but lit back up. "Yup!" Harleen searched the papers again. "Now there's a report filed by Commissioner Gordon that Miss Mimi was abducted by former Dr. Crane." Joker growled. "Yea, bird boy got me this time." Harleen sorta felt sorry for the guy. He seemed to be the best criminal in all of Gotham. "Well, don't want to depress you more than necessary. I'll see you later! Bye!" Harleen waved and smiled a big goofy smile. Joker grinned and waved back. Once she was out of sight, he lowered his head.
"That has to be the most annoying woman I've met...." Joker muttered, running his fingers through his greasy hair. But that smile creeped up again.
"Annoying is sometimes cute though. And maybe since she seems to be stupid, she'll be easy to pursade."
Joker didn't make plans. He just used things or people to his advantage.
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(Forward a couple of days)
At least four days went by and Joker hadn't seen Crane or Mimi. But that stupid woman Harleen was seen enough. Whenever she had the time, here she'd come. Joker even tired to sleep one time but she came in and began to chat up a storm.
'When I get outta here, she's the first to be killed...' Joker thought angerliy since Harleen hadn't shut up the moment she got in here!
But there was a small benefit. Joker watched Harleen those past four days. She naive and stupid. She could be molded into whatever he wanted. Like a living puppet that obeyed and trusted his every word.
It was now day five and Joker was more than ready to try Harleen out for a test run. It was nearly six P.M. when she showed up. Joker smiled and welcomed her in. Harleen blushed and did her normal routine first. Give him meds and ask him questions. But this time, it was Joker's turn to ask questions. She sat down and wrote some things on her clipboard while Joker twirled his thumbs. He would glance up at her now and again. Once she was done writing, he spoke up.
"Harely, babe, wanna do me a favor?" Her blue eyes started at him. "Yeah, sure, anything!"
Joker smirked. "Okies, baby, I want you to look around for any clue that Crane was here from the last week or so. I want to get back at him for what he did to me."
Harleen gulped. "You want me to sneak around and go through things in order to find evidence that Crane was here? Isn't that wrong...?"
Joker frowned. "Aw, Harely sweetie, do Mister J a favor, please?" "Well...." she began nervously. "I'll take ya with me when I get outta here." Joker said.
Harleen's eyes sparked with excitement. "Really?! You promise Mistah J?!" Joker nodded. "I promise. I'm a man of my word."
Harleen blushed and giggled. "Okay, anything for you!" Joker laughed. "That's my girl!"
Harleen picked up her things and left. She blushed again. He had called her 'his girl'. Wonder if he loves me? The blonde doctor thought.
Deep down inside Harleen she knew that she had made a deal with the devil.
Fox: Yay, I updated!!! See? I told you :) Now Harely Quinn is on the scene! How will Joker escape? And what has become of Mimi? All very good questions and they will be answered in the chapter! Bye!
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