A/N: Thanks to all of the people mentioned in previous chapters as well as SoxChick09, gab4eva24, warriorsgirl664 and kimm4580. You guys are all amazing! Remember to review if you like the story. It means a lot to me to know what you guys think! :)
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Batman characters/scenes that appear in the movie. I also used some Joker quotes from films and comics in this chapter; I don't own these either. I do own Jessica Wayne, any original characters and the plot. Now read on lovely readers!
The Joker continued to walk towards me. "I'll never understand women," he said with a laugh. "They can have the world at their fingertips, but in the end they always RUIN IT," he said, screaming the last part angrily. I jumped slightly at his outburst causing a low chuckle to escape from his ruby red lips.
When he finally got to me he grabbed my arm and hoisted me up violently, causing me to ram up against him. "I'm only laughing on the outside, my smile is just skin deep. If you could see inside I'm really crying, you might join me for a weep-ah," he said as he stared down at me.
I had no idea what he meant by that. Of course, no one understands the Joker but the Joker himself. I tried to go over what he said in my mind again, but was torn away from my thoughts when my captor pushed me back on the bed. I hurried into a sitting position and moved as far away from him as I could. He continued to stare down at me with a smile on his face.
"Aw, you look scared," he said as his face fell and his mouth turned into a pout. "I'll tell you a joke to lighten the mood-ah." He walked over to the door and locked it. I could feel my chest rising and falling rapidly as he turned back around to face me.
"Well...this guy goes into the hospital, okay?...His wife's just had a baby and he can't wait to see them both. So he meets the doctor and says, 'Oh, doc, I've been so worried. How are they?' And the doctor smiles and says, 'They're fine. Just fine. Your wife delivered a healthy baby boy and they're both in tip-top form...You're one lucky guy.' So the guy rushed into the maternity ward with his flowers. But it's empty. His wife's bed's empty. 'Doc?' he says and he turns around and the doctor and the nurses wave their arms and scream in his face...'APRIL FOOLS! YOU'RE WIFE'S DEAD AND THE BABY'S A SPASTIC!'" He let out a maniac laugh and bent over so he could rest his hands on his knees.
Meanwhile, my face had a complete look of horror on it. He looked up at me, still laughing wildly. "Get it?" he asked as he took a step closer to me. He finished laughing and his face slowly turned into a scowl. "Tough crowd, huh?"
"Come on, what do I have to do to put a smile on that face?" he asked as he walked even closer to me. Releasing me would be one thing, but I didn't dare say that out loud. The last thing I needed now was another beating for being cheeky.
His left leg lifted up and rested on the bed as he looked at me with a contemplating expression. "You know…" he said and pointed his finger at me. "I think you need to lighten up a little." His right leg came up on the bed so he was sitting on his knees. "You're just too serious. And you know, you can't enjoy life when you're serious. Now chaos, living without rules; those are the things that make life FASCINATING!" he said as he raised his hands in the air at the last word.
"You're crazy," I said shakily as I shook my head in disbelief.
"Someone somewhere wants me crazy," he said with the tilt and nod of his head. He smacked his lips in his regular fashion. "If people didn't have me, they'd have nothing to worry about. Then, life would be so…boring," he said with an exaggerated sigh. He started to crawl over to me. I started to move back, but found I was already sitting at the edge of the bed. He grabbed my ankle and pulled me over to him. I pushed my hands against his chest as he laid on top of me.
"Even with that bruise on your face you're beautiful," he said as he rubbed my cheek. I noticed his head was lowering down towards mine. There was no way I was going to let this monster kiss me again. Without really thinking, I did the first thing that popped into my head; I kneed him as I hard as I could in the crotch.
A look of pain crossed his face. He then let out a booming laugh that filled every corner of the room. "You know, one of these days you're going to understand," he said as he sat up, now sitting on my waist. "You're going to know exactly what I did for you," he said a look of anger forming on his face. He grabbed my jaw roughly in his hand and pulled out his knife. "See, you just don't KNOW the trouble I went through. No i-dea."
I didn't have time to question his words for a sharp pain had just engulfed my right arm. I had to hold back the scream of agony that was threatening to come out of my throat. I looked down and saw a medium-sized cut in the middle of my arm with blood streaming out of it. The Joker jerked my face so I was facing him again. He held his knife in front of my eyes and I saw crimson liquid staining the blade. My eyesight started to go in and out as my mind focused on the pain that was growing fiercer by the second.
"Let the fun beg-in," I heard him say. This statement was followed by another sharp pain on my stomach as the knife ran across my abdomen.
It was then I realized I was completely weak and vulnerable in this state. I hadn't eaten in days, I hadn't had anything to drink, my thigh was still healing and I was losing more blood by the second. The familiarity of the cold darkness that began to surround me was more like a comfort blanket now. I knew he wouldn't do anything to me while I slept; he was the type who fed of the reactions of his victims.
"DAMMIT!" I heard the Joker scream as I slipped into the darkness with ease.
I felt a hard slap on my face. "WAKE UP!" a female voice screamed.
My eyes opened slowly and I saw Angela towering over me. "About time! Get up," she said and pulled my arm so I was in a sitting position.
"Why?" I asked with a croaky voice. I looked around and saw I was still in the same room I'd passed out in, what had to be, hours before. The only difference was I was no longer in my red cocktail dress. Instead, I was wearing a pair of tight jeans and a plan, purple t-shirt.
"Because J said so! We're going somewhere and I'm not going to let you ruin the fun," she said as she tugged me out of the bed. I noticed my thigh was still sore as were the cuts I received on my arm and abdomen. I lifted up my shirt and saw a three inch, red scar running just above my belly button.
"That's nothing," Angela said when she saw me examining it.
I looked up at her with raised eyebrows, though I knew she was right. The truth was it could be a lot worse than this.
I reluctantly followed her out of the room and down the stairs to the first floor. I saw Bob, Nick and Cole standing in the doorway discussing something. There was another man standing off to the side with black hair. I noticed with confusion that he was wearing an honor guard uniform. He looked a little nervous and was sweating slightly. What would a person in the military honor guard be doing here?
"Boss is waiting in the car," Bob said with his deep voice. He grabbed my sore arm and dragged me out the door while the others followed. When we got to the driveway, I found myself staring at the person behind the wheel of a black SUV. The man looked to be in his late twenties and had blonde, curly hair with a slight hint of green. As we got closer, I noticed the scars on his cheek and gasped slightly. The Joker looked over at me and winked with the lick of his lips.
Why had he taken his make-up off? Whose car was this?
I figured out the answer to my last question as we walked over to the SUV; this had probably been another one of Angela's parent's possessions. I sighed sadly at the thought of Angela allowing that monster to kill her parents. It probably had such an effect on me, because my parents had been taken from this earth so unexpectedly. I had no choice in the matter.
I ended up sitting in between Bob and Angela. Unlike the other times I was forced to sit by her, Angela didn't glare at me or make rude comments about my appearance. In fact, she was actually rather civil and allowed me to move closer to her so I wouldn't have to touch the burly man sitting to my right.
As I thought about the new understanding between the two of us my head jerked forward. I'd almost forgotten how crazy the Joker drove. I looked at the speedometer and saw we were going 105 miles an hour. I closed my eyes tightly in the hopes that I wouldn't get car sick. They'd only been closed for three seconds when my head smashed into the seat in front of me as the Joker hit the breaks.
"Now how do you expect to enjoy the ride if your eyes are closed?" the Joker asked with a laugh. I looked up and saw him gazing at me through the rear-view mirror. "Embrace the speed-ah," he said before zooming off down the street, my head now pounding.
We were just entering the urban area of Gotham when the car's speed dropped drastically. It was then I realized the Joker was using this car in the hopes that no one would recognize him and the decrease in speed was probably made so he wouldn't draw attention to himself.
We were driving for another five minutes before we stopped in an alley way. All of us got out of the car, tugged in my case, and went through the back door of a brick building. I felt someone grab my other arm and pull me out of Bob's grip; the Joker of course. "This is going to be fun. I've always wanted to be a man in uniform," he whispered in my ear with a chuckle. I was now wearing a baffled expression. What did he mean by a "man in uniform?"
My question was answered as we entered a room where several men were standing with their backs to us. All of them were wearing honor guard uniforms like the black haired man who was with us. "Don't you guys look profes-sion-al," the Joker said as we walked in. All of the men turned and stared at the group of us in horror. The Joker seemed to have that effect on everyone.
"We've just come to relieve you of your work," the Joker said. He lifted up his gun and shot one of the men in the leg. He fell to the ground with a yelp of pain and I felt a p ang of sorrow and pity for him.
All of his fellow men started to look around for the nearest exit, but it was too late. Bob and the others had begun to attack them as well. The men were yelling pleas of mercy only to be knocked to the ground seconds later. As I watched, I saw the thin Angela give one of the men a high-spin kick to the face. I never would have thought she could fight like that. On the other side of the room, Cole was kicking an older man who was lying on the ground with blood splattered across his face. These men could have innocent families at home waiting for them; wives and children whom they loved and supported. What did they do to deserve this degrading and horrid act committed against them? Nothing: absolutely nothing. A tear slid down my face as the scene in front of me truly sank in. I could feel the Joker's eyes burning into the back of my head.
"I know what you're thinking. You see, I am an agent of chaos. And you know the thing about chaos, Jess?" the Joker whispered behind me, his hot breath tickling my neck. "It's fair-ah."