Robert carried Nancy to his car, put her inside, and shut the door. She was sobbing up a storm, not to mention she was bleeding. Robert walked back down the street to Jim. They looked at each other for a long time.
"Rob," Jim said, his eyebrows creased, "Rob... I'm so sorry I-" he stopped, not knowing what to say.
"I better get to the station," Robert said numbly.
"Yeah, take Nancy, too. Get her hands fixed up," Jim replied.
Robert nodded once and walked away, back toward his car. Nancy was still inside, she was sobbing. She looked like she was dying. Robert walked faster. He reached his car and got inside. Nancy sat still. He looked at her and tried to say something, it didn't work. He sighed and started the engine.
Not ten minutes later they were driving past Wayne Industries, Nancy stared at the giant tower as they passed.
"This is all his fault, you know," she managed between breaths.
Robert looked at her, he couldn't think of anything to say again. He sighed and kept driving. They turned the corner to the station and pulled into a parking space. Robert turned off the car and sat still for a while. He looked over at Nancy, she was curled up in a little ball and quiet sobs shook her whole being. Her breathing was ragged and wouldn't stop shaking. Robert got out of his seat and slammed his door. Nancy continued to sob.
'This is too much for one kid to take all at once,' he thought to himself.
He opened her door and pulled her out of the car. She clung to his jacket and continued to cry on his shoulder. Too many tears. Robert walked up the stairs, down the hall, and into the main office. Several heads popped out of office doors and up from desks. Several greeted him happily before they realized what, or who, he had in his arms.
The Joker strode over to the farthest corner of his cage, trying to see what was causing all the little people in the offices behind him to fuss and talk in low whispers. He saw her then, the little shaking figure in Robbie's arms. Nancy was sobbing so quietly, so shakily, the Joker thought she might be having a seizure. He saw Robert walk over to his office and curse to himself.
"...shit," he hissed, "Who was in my office last?"
Everyone glanced at one of the new secretaries. The poor woman shrunk back into her own office. Robert cursed some more and set Nancy down in the chair across from the Joker. She formed back into a ball and her shoulders continued to shake. Robert glared up at the Joker and gave him a look that would have killed most fully grown male elephants. To Robert's dismay, the Joker was not a fully grown male elephant, so it did not affect him. He continued to stare at Nancy. Robert walked away to his office.
"Nancy?" the Joker cooed, "Nancy? You okay?"
Nancy looked up at him, the Joker froze. Her eyes were filled with such hate and malice and pain that the Joker could only stare back for a moment.
"I'll take that as a no..." he trailed off. "You wanna talk about it?" He grinned.
He was taunting her, she knew that. Nancy uncurled from her seat and stared back at him. He licked his lips and continued to grin.
"Maybe not?" he giggled.
Nancy stood up.
"S'matter? Did someone hurt little Nancy's little feelings?" he started to laugh.
Everyone in the office looked up.
The Joker stopped laughing and opened his eyes. He took a step back, it was too late. Nancy reached through the bars of his cage and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. His head hit the metal poles of his cage when she yanked him forward. He rubbed his forehead and stared down at her, quite a bit surprised.
"That hurt ya' know," he chuckled.
"You stupid son of a bitch," Nancy seethed, "You don't even know what I'm going through right now. Not one fucking clue. No..." She licked her lips.
"No," she said, "You don't care either do ya? Nope. You could give two shits less. You just like fuckin' with peoples heads... Robert told me that. You can't do anything else, you get other guys to do your job. Yeah... yeah you just sit back and watch the fireworks while a bunch a' crazy bastards get theirs faces blown off."
Robert stood in the doorway of his office, unable to move. The Joker clicked his tongue at Nancy and reached through the bars of his cell. He grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her forward. Nancy let out a little gasp, the Joker continued to stare down at her like a giant hawk. Nancy couldn't move, her whole body pressed against the bars of his cage. She glanced at Robert, who didn't move. Nancy couldn't breath, she couldn't move, she couldn't speak. The same went for everyone in the big office. None of them moved.
The Joker brought his hand up to Nancy's face. She didn't move. The Joker brushed his thumb along her cheek where tears continued to flow, and leaned forward.
Robert moved. He sprang across the room like an angry cat and yanked Nancy away from the Joker so hard that he hit his head on the bars of his cell again. Robert shoved Nancy in her chair, turned around, and pulled out his gun. He grabbed the Joker by the collar and brought him forward.
"Hi Robbie," the Joker giggled.
Robert jabbed his gun under the Joker's chin, "I'll do it you stupid fuck," he hissed, "I'll blow your fucking head off right here, right fucking now..."
"Yeah Robbie, do it," the Joker smiled, "Do it right here. Right in front of little Nancy. I bet she'd like that."
He grabbed Robert's gun and jabbed it harder. He tried to lick his scars again and grinned a big toothy grin. Robert pulled his gun back and shoved it in it's holster. The Joker grinned and walked backward to his bench. He sat down and smiled at Nancy. He pretended to bite his nails as he licked away Nancy's salty tears. She stared back at him blankly and stood up when Robert grabbed her by the shoulder. He eased her back into his office and closed the door.
The Joker laughed and laughed until Nancy stuck her head out the door. He stopped rolling around and looked at her. She looked like she was trying to say something, she failed. Instead she let out an angry sigh and slammed the door. The Joker grinned at her and stretched out on the little metal bench in his cell. He looked over at the people behind desks, they gawked at him like fish. He laughed again.