Chapter Twenty-One:
Maddening
It was late in the evening when Xack decided to play a scary game in her dimly lit living room. She sat on the floor while gazing up at the TV, her mind too in-tune with the game to be aware of what else was going on around her. It wasn't until the sound of thunder being heard just outside her window did she get out of her mindset. She gasped, a bit startled by the shock of the noise. She turned her head to look outside and saw droplets of rain begin to fall.
She stayed staring at the window for some time before her attention turned back to the TV. A chill went down her spine when she noticed zombies coming onto the screen, overwhelming her male protagonist. Her breathing escalated slightly as she hastily turned off her game, not wanting to play something that made her fearful.
Xack gave a slight nervous chuckle and said, "Done with scary games for the night." As she put her gaming things away, she added worriedly, "Playing these games must do something to me. I remember Dr. Bagley telling me to play these less..." Then she stared at the TV screen, deep in thought. All her previous, terrifying thoughts of Joker running through her head; laughing, telling her suggestive, horrifying things. "...Maybe these games are already doing something to me..." She whispered dejectedly.
Xack stood up and sighed heavily, shrugging her shoulders. As she heard footsteps walk past her apartment door, she looked onto it and started to think again. That "Jason" came to mind. There was one part of her that just wanted to go and ask him flat-out if he's really the Joker. On the other hand, if he wasn't really Joker, then the girl would feel extremely embarrassed and want to bury herself beneath the ground out of shame. "But, what if he's really Joker, and is just lying about it?" She wondered frightfully, fidgeting with her hands.
A saddened sound escaped her and she clutched her head tightly. "No one will believe me... B-Batman doesn't believe me...!" She got down on her knees as they began to wobble badly. "I-I don't know what to believe anymore! What if I am...going crazy?"
Once more she got back on her feet and practically dragged herself to the bathroom. She turned on the faucet and splashed some water on her face before she looked over her distressing self in the small mirror above. Her hair was matted and appeared to just be all over the place. Her face seemed gloomier than ever after everything she's been through. Xack took a step back to fix any unwanted creases she had in her pajamas, which consisted of a large sweatshirt and shorts: something she would never wear out in public nor have anyone see her in.
Xack didn't know what to do with herself anymore. She rubbed her arms as a bit of comfort when she left the bathroom to stand in front of her main telephone in the living room. She actually considered calling Professor Strange to check herself into Arkham for revelation. When she peered down to the phone though, her eyes watered at just the mere thought of staying at that asylum again. "I don't want to go back..." She told herself, panic rising in her voice. "I...I won't go back!" She took a step away, clutching a fist with agitation. "I'll do anything to not go back there, to that...horrible place!... and Dr. Strange..." She took one glance at the apartment door and added, "...There's something not right with him."
Xack cleared her throat, trying to regain her composure as she walked into the kitchen to figure out what she could eat to calm down more and forget her troubles for awhile.
When she decided to get a glass and pour some chocolate milk into it, she suddenly heard people screaming coming from the apartment right next to her. The unexpected sound shocked her so bad that it almost made the glass fall from her hand.
"Wh-what?" Xack couldn't fathom what to do. The screaming continued, but whoever was making it was then thrown into the wall adjacent from Xack's; the force causing some of her belongings and dishes to crash to the floor. "Oh my God! Who's doing this?" She whimpered as she coward over to her couch, muttering some insanities to herself.
It didn't take long for the whole complex to become an uproar of screams, some turning into fits of psychotic laughter. Xack gasped, and her eyes grew wide with fright. "Oh no...! No! NO!" Once again, she clutched her head, shaking it slowly in disbelief. "This can't be happening to me! It-it can't be!" She curled up into a ball on the floor when sounds of extreme violence can be heard through the walls of the apartments. Xack had no idea what was going on around her, but from what she could make out, she could only imagine that the sounds were residents being beaten and occasionally flung across rooms. "But...why are they laughing?" Xack shrieked inside her head. "Why are they laughing?"
Xack- too frightened to come up with some sort of escape plan- just sat next to the couch and listened to all the panicked screams and fits of laughter. She was beginning to hyperventilate, and knew if she didn't try to relax at some point, she would be on the verge of having a heart attack.
Then, the complex started to cease the noises. She wondered why all commotion avoided her little place, but there was also a part of her that didn't care. As long as it left her alone, she was fine with it.
When the people's screams and laughter's died down, Xack very cautiously stood back up, hands balled up so tightly that she cut the skin with her nails. "Is it...is it over?" She thought with fearful curiosity. "Should I...call the police?... Did anyone even call them?..."
Xack took in deep breaths to try and think things through. She eyed the telephone and quickly dashed to it, but just as she hovered a hand over it, a sudden thought came to her, making her bite her bottom lip gently in worriment. "But...what if I'm just going crazy? What if...what if this didn't really happen?" She backed away, turning her attention to the apartment door. "I...I have to go look. I...have to..." She shook badly in fear when she knew what had to be done. "I'll just take a quick peek. ...I have to know the truth- and then...and then I'll call the cops. ...yeah..."
She took hesitating steps towards the door, each one causing her to go more into dismay. As she got to it, she peered out the peephole to make sure the coast was clear from the small view she had. When she didn't see anyone near the door, she took a trembling hand and put it on the knob. Xack gazed upward, closing her eyes as she took a deep breath.
"You're going to regret this," something inside her told her flatly.
Xack opened the door steadily. "I have to know..." She whispered to herself ever so quietly.
It started out as a tiny peek through the crack of the door, but with every passing second of not noticing anything out of the ordinary, did she open it wider. Her breathing was still unsteady as her eyes darted to all corners of what was visible in front of her, but still nothing unusual. Only when the door was almost wide open did Jason spring out in front of her, causing Xack to gasp loudly from being startled.
Upon instinct of her previous suspicions, she shut the door, but Jason was too quick and grabbed it just before she could even attempt to lock it. Now the girl was using all her strength as she and Jason practically played tug-o-war with the door. "...No..." Xack sobbed with defeat, knowing she couldn't keep it up any longer.
Jason swung the door at her, making Xack stumble back and away from him. He came into her home and carefully shut the door behind him, never taking his beaming eyes off of her.
When Xack regained her balance, she backed up into the couch and stared at him in horror, body shaking horribly. They continued to gaze at one another in silence, both probably wondering who would be the first to speak.
Jason cocked his head at her and asked somewhat darkly, "Where do you think you're going, my little wallflower?" He grinned, and his shoulders shrugged just a tad as he tried to contain his inner laughter.
"Um..." Xack trailed her fingers on the top of the couch as she struggled to come up with an answer. She breathed in...and out before she replied in a faltering voice, "Wh-what did you do...to the...the people here?" She swallowed hard, and balled up one of her hands.
Jason's grin grew wider, and his appearance seemed more psychotic to her now. He raised his hands as if he had no idea what Xack was talking about. "I don't know what you're talking about-"
"STOP IT!" Xack screamed, putting a hand to her head. "Just stop it!" Her knees shook in place, but she didn't want to fall nor faint on him though. "Wh-why are you keeping this up?" She questioned, gesturing a hand to him. "I know it's you... I know it's you, Joker!" She spoke through grinded teeth as she pointed a threatening finger to him.
Jason remained silent, which Xack found that to be rather strange. After a minute passed by, the man gasped feigningly, immediately clasping his hands over his eyes, and kneeled over slightly as if his eyes were in serious pain. The girl watched him with a horrified stare; eyes boggled and lips parted. The man still kept up his act, gagging, groaning, and teetering left and right a little.
All of a sudden, he gasped once more when his false eyes fell out; an action which made Xack gasp herself and began to back away into the kitchen. "Oopsie!" Jason giggled childishly, but then his tone grew much darker and menacing, "I think my eyes fell out..." He looked up at her, red eyes and yellow pupils burning furiously into hers.
Xack couldn't believe her own eyes. "No..." she shook her head slowly.
Jason started to laugh. At first, it was a few, short Ha! Ha's!, before they grew into fits of psychotic, crazed laughter. He laughed as he peeled away the humanized skin he had over his face. He laughed as he tore the blonde wig from his head; green dreadlocks sprung out and fell into place again.
Xack cautiously and quietly crept into the kitchen, never one moment where her eyes left Jason. When he kept shelling his disguise away, Xack hastily opened up the bottom cupboards to get something out of it. She stood back up and tucked the object carefully between the back of her shorts.
When Jason, or rather Joker stood upright, his usual perpetual grin almost covered his entire face. His eyes were wide with excitement and malice.
"Ah! So good to be out of that thing!" Joker said in relief, and then he looked over the casual outfit he had on. "Ugh! When we get back home, I'm definitely changing out of this- seriously, how can you simple-minded people where these drags? They're so...plain!" As childishly disgusted he sounded, he then giggled threw clenched teeth, putting a hand lightly over his mouth.
He then stopped focusing on his wardrobe and put his attention back on the frightened girl in front of him. In his biggest grin yet, he bared his jig-sawed teeth to her, looking satisfied to show his true self to her.
Xack spoke, pressing herself against the wall while shaking her head slowly in disbelief, "You...you can't be real..." She whispered frighteningly, letting out a faltering breath. In her mind, she hoped she could try to reach the phone before Joker knew what she was thinking about doing.
Joker frowned. Without warning, he rushed to her and pinched her arm hard. Xack yelped in pain, backing away from him, but purposely to the living room phone.
"See?" The clown lilted, smiling. "Does that feel real enough for-" His eyes raised suspiciously when he noticed Xack fumbling with the phone behind her, trying to grab at it and somehow make a call- to whom, Joker didn't care. "Oh no you don't!" He scowled, striding towards the telephone. Before Xack even had a chance to dial, Joker cackled as he ripped out the cord from the back.
She retreated into the wall by the TV. Xack hugged herself tightly, appearing horrified as Joker grinned at her. He held up the phone cord, and with the other hand, he waved a finger at her. "Tsk, tsk, tsk, now why would you spoil our fun?" He teasingly pouted, dropping the cord and eyeing her longingly. "I don't wanna share you with anyone anymore..." He stated to her huskily.
Xack shook her head, sniffling. She could barely look at him without wanting to cry. "So...he was real the whole time?" She asked herself, wanting to collapse to the ground and cry out her sorrows. "You...you were real...the whole time?" She questioned to him, and he nodded. Xack grinded her teeth together angrily. She threw her arms out and yelled, "Why? Why did you do this to me?-"
"To prove a point!..." Joker boasted, holding up a finger for good measure, but then he pointed that finger at her, "To you." He smirked. There was a long pause before he started explaining to her. "You see, dearie, when you left the looney bin, you thought you could live out your lonely, pathetic, 'normal' life, and not think about Arkham ever again...but..." He began to gesticulate with his hands on the story. "You started seeing me, and what does lil' ol' Hathaway do? Why, she runs to her nearest Bat freak, and you know what he tells her?" He imitated Batman's voice, "'Joker? I don't see any Joker? You must be goin' ka-RAZY, kid! Ain't no Joker here!' HA-HAHAHAHAHAAAH!" He kneeled over and slapped his knee as his fits of insane giggling never wanted to end. Xack remained standing frozen solid against the wall, not sure what to do at the moment, but just listen to him.
Joker then calmed himself and wiped a single tear from his eye. He folded his hands together and tilted his head to the side. "Unfortunately for you, you kept crying, and crying for Batsy to believe you, but did he? -Nnoooooo...he just shooed you away like a teensy fly, right?" He smiled strangely sweet to her, and it took a minute for Xack to realize he wanted some kind of answer from her.
Xack put a hand to her forehead. She wasn't sure what to say to him. "He-he said he believed me..." Xack mumbled under her breath, but as Joker leaned in to hear her better, she repeated louder, "He said he believed me!-"
"Oh?" Joker interrupted, smiling in satisfaction. "Did he now? So, where is Batsy, Xack?"
Xack's eyes grew wide. He's right. Where is Batman if he believed her? Why didn't he already catch Joker if he believed her? "It's like what I told my shrinky-dink back at Arkham: when a nut is cracked, they always stay cracked! The day you set foot in the asylum, no matter where you go- even if the big-times there tell you 'you're sane'- you'll always be crazy. When everyone finds out, no one will ever believe anything you say..."
When he told her the cold, hard truth, Xack slowly slid to the floor, staring straight ahead and lost in so many thoughts. Joker watched her and grinned psychotically, knowing his harsh words got through to the girl. "No." Xack sobbed, her legs twisting and turning in all kinds of directions. She didn't know what to do at this point. "No! He said he believed me! Batman said he believed me!" She cried furiously, her fists clenching and unclenching in mental frustration.
Joker rolled his eyes, waving his hand around like he's heard this before. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, not the first time Bat let ya down, I'm sure."
Xack thought...and it dawned on her. This wasn't the first time he didn't believe her about Joker. She remembered over a year ago...where she tried to convince Batman that Joker was really hiding out at a carnival, but he dismissed her theories. If he had believed her then, she wouldn't have almost become a permanent clown like Joker or the rest of his victims. Her hand grabbed a hold of her sweatshirt, shaking. "Th-this...this isn't the first time..." She whispered quietly.
"Wha'sat, dearie?" Joker inquired, cupping a hand to his ear to hear her better. "Ah, never mind... Oh! By the way..." Xack stopped sobbing long enough to look up at Joker with puffy, red eyes. He went into his pants pockets and brought out...a mangled cat? Xack gasped and tried to press herself harder into the wall, wanting to get away from whatever it was. Joker smiled devilishly and waved the dead cat back and forth in his hand. "I would slaughter your kitty-cat if you got one!" He threw the maimed cat at Xack, and she screamed. Upon closer inspection though, she saw that it wasn't a dead cat, but just a torn up stuffed animal of one. Xack sighed in relief, but her heart was still pounding madly.
As Xack clutched her heart, Joker eyes traveled to her bare legs, staring at them hungrily. She gazed up at him, and didn't like the look in his eyes. She could of sworn he made some sort of "purring" sound in satisfaction. "Oooh, I never knew you had...legs." He said with glee, now leering at her. Xack began to stand up carefully. He put a hand to his chin. "Makes me curious as to what else you're hiding from me..." Xack's eyes grew wide with fear, hugging herself.
Joker hummed to himself as he searched for a nearby clock to look at the time. He saw the time and said, smiling, "Dear me! I think we've chit-chatted long enough, don't ya think?" He wondered. "I think we should get going home now-"
"Home?" Xack squeaked, half knowing where this was leading.
Joker grinned. "Yes. Home. With me," he drawled, pointing to himself.
Xack's breathing got heavier with panic. "I'm...I'm not going anywhere with you," she told him flat out, body beginning to tremble again.
Joker grunted, taking a step towards her. "After all I said, and you still want to live this boring life?" He put his hands on his hips. Xack didn't say anything. "You're coming home with me, Xackie, whether you want to or not."
All Joker heard was odd mutterings of insanity coming from her end, so he took a few more steps towards her, but Xack edged away from him. Joker sighed. "Don't make me do this the hard way, little girl; although I think it would be much more fun for me!" His hands came up, like he was ready to pounce on her.
When the psychotic clown came closer, Xack went behind her back and stuck out the knife she had. Joker halted his movements and eyed the knife as if he couldn't accept what she had in her hands.
"Stay...away from me!" Xack threatened fearfully, knife pointing directly at Joker. "I mean it!"
Joker had the most flustered look Xack had ever seen on him. It's almost as if he just couldn't believe that Xack had a knife in her hands, and ready to strike at him if he tried anything to her.
Suddenly, he chuckled, snorting a little. He smirked at her and said nonchalantly. "Oh, Xackie, Xackie, Xackie... Now I know you would never want to hurt me. I know I never hurt you before-"
"That's not true!" Xack snapped infuriatingly, but kept a serious expression on her face. "You know that's not true! You think..." She sounded like she wanted to burst out crying again. "You think I want this? You don't think this is hurting me? You made...you made everyone think I was crazy! You made me think I was losing my mind!"
Joker slapped his forehead playfully and threw his head back. "That's. The. Point!" He stressed frustratingly, but smiled all the while. "What's the point of living this 'normal' life, when everyone, even you, thinks you're going MAD?"
Xack could barely hold the knife in her hands. Their were so many thoughts playing across her mind, that she couldn't grasp at which one to focus on. With her expression appearing confused and conflicted, Joker made his move again, but Xack still had the knife on him.
Joker chuckled musingly, "Now, dearie, you know you don't wanna hurt me- AAAACK!" The clown jumped back when Xack lashed out her weapon at him, creating a long gash in his arm. Fortunately for Joker, it wasn't deep enough to need stitches, but still bled, nonetheless. He inspected the wound bleeding through his material, and then his eyes were on Xack again. He growled, but he was more shocked than angry. "You...you cut me!" He stated with great aghast.
Xack aimed the knife at him once more. "I'm not...joking..." She threatened darkly, but her frustration and confusion couldn't mask her queasiness to the blood dripping softly from the knife. Her lips trembled slightly as she watched the drops hit the floor.
Joker stared back at Xack, and knew if he wanted her to come with him, he would have to somehow get the knife out of her hands, and knock her out. His eyes grew wide with shock and gazed past her, hand clutching his chest as he leaned back. "B-Batsy?" Joker squeaked, who couldn't believe the Dark Knight was right behind Xack.
That very second Xack turned around, she was done for. The moment she didn't see Batman behind her, Joker lunged at her and slapped the knife out of her hands. Xack gasped and was now struggling with the Joker to make him let go of her. With his strength, he rammed her against the wall she stood from. He rammed her into the kitchen counter, but in the end, Joker threw her down to the floor and quickly got on top of her, pinning both her arms out with his. Xack wiggled around weakly beneath him, wanting to scream...wanting to cry...even wanting to say something insulting to him, but nothing came from her lips.
Xack was hyperventilating when Joker's face came in close to hers, grinning in triumph. He peered directly into her terrified, bright green eyes with his red piercing ones. "I don't want to hurt you, Xack Hathaway," Joker cooed sadly, "I just wanna take you home so we can have some real fun together!" He sounded a bit cheerier, but Xack didn't speak a word of protest, nor did she attempt to move.
With Xack frozen in terror, Joker cautiously let go of one of her arms. "You and me, kid! I'll teach you all the know-hows of bringin' smiles to the frownies of Gotham! Just think: we'll be the talk of the town once you become more like me..." Xack merely stared past him with a glazed look like she was no longer in control of herself.
After the long silence from Xack, Joker took his free arm and carefully snaked it under her sweatshirt, being extra cautious to not alarm her in any way. Joker bit his lip in anticipation as his fingers barely tickled her skin, still inching his way up her body. Then his hand came to the intended target of her breast, hovering over it, and flexing his fingers as he felt her chest rise and exhale against his palm.
When that moment went by, he grinned lustfully as he grasped it roughly with his hand, bringing Xack back to her senses and realizing what Joker just did to her. Immediately, she took her fist and slammed it to the side of his head, causing the clown to recoil back long enough for her to slide out from underneath him and stand on her feet. She backed up into the kitchen counter, cradling her hand when she felt immense pain shooting through it. She prayed she didn't break anything in her hand. Joker stood up as well, grabbing the side of his head and glaring murderously at Xack. She would do the same, but again, she was more horrified than angry.
Xack hugged herself tightly and stared at him with shock in her eyes. "YOU TOUCHED ME!" She screamed at him furiously. "YOU TOUCHED ME! I can't believe you touched me...there!"
The look Joker gave her was so full of smug, and he responded defensively, "Funny...," He began, still sounding a little dazed, "By the way you weren't movin', I'd say you wanted it!" He smirked at her after.
Xack made a noise of absolute disgust and picked up one of her left-over vases of flowers and threw it at Joker. With the Clown Prince of Crime still got the wind knocked out of him from her fist to the head, he wasn't quick enough to dodge her next blow, and when the vase hit his head, he fell almost comically to the floor. While Joker was down, Xack bolted for the door and left her apartment, taking off down the stairs and trying not to trip as she made her way to the bottom floor. When she left through the entrance doors, she was greeted by a downpour of rain, which immediately drenched her from head to toe.
"I have to get out of here! I have to get away!" Xack knew she had no time to worry about soaked clothing. She just took off down the sidewalk of Gotham City, not even caring nor paying attention who she was running in to. As she rounded a corner, screams erupted close by, which meant Joker was now after her.
Xack's feet were beginning to tire and wear themselves, and if she weren't running for her life, she would give a slight chuckle and wonder how Joker can do anything without shoes on. She was already distraught and drained of energy as soon as he showed up at her doorstep. When Xack ducked into the nearest, darkened alley, she found a large dumpster bin and hid on the opposite side of it. She pressed her back against it and collapsed to the ground exhaustedly. She breathed in and out heavily, trying to get her energy back up before she would make her move again.
She then peeked around the dumpster, gasping and eyes growing wide with fright. She saw Joker pass by the alleyway, and as soon as he caught sight of her head peeking out, he grinned manically and headed her way. "No!" Xack screamed, getting up to run out of the alley.
"I'm so tired. I'm so...tired..." Xack kept on running, but she didn't know how much longer she would last on her feet.
Just when she passed another building which felt like a blur to her, there was a voice from above, "Xack!" It called down to her. Xack stopped abruptly in her tracks and looked up, using a hand to shield her eyes from the heavy rain.
"B-Batman!" Xack gasped. She couldn't believe her eyes.
Amidst the screams and startled gasps from crowds or people going by, Batman dropped down to her level. "We have to get out of here now!" He demanded authoritatively, grabbing her arm to make her follow him.
Xack jerked from his grasp and clutched the sides of his cape from the front. "I TRUSTED YOU!" She yelled at him angrily. "I trusted you, Batman! Why didn't you believe me?" She shook him viciously, but Batman lightly shoved her away to make it stop.
"We don't have time for this! Joker will be here any second if we don't move!" He told her hastily. He tried to grab a hold of her arm again, but Xack wouldn't have at that. Batman appeared agitated now, and had no idea what Xack was trying to pull. At the moment, she wasn't even sure what she was doing.
"No!" Xack avoided another one of his attempts to grab her hand. She pointed a shaky finger at him. "I don't want to go with you! I don't want to go with Joker! I just want everyone to leave me ALONE!"
Batman clenched his teeth together. "Stop it, Xack! We need to get out of here now-!"
All of a sudden, someone wrapped their fingers around Xack's arm and jerked her in the opposite direction. Xack gasped and glanced over her shoulder and saw Joker grinning at her. Behind him was his van, with Punch and Judy in the front seats waiting for their boss to return.
"Oh, no!" Xack gasped fearfully.
"I believe I won this little lady fair and square, Batsy!" Joker chortled, and pulled out a grenade from his pockets. "But here's your consolation prize, HA-HA-HA!" He laughed manically, tossing Batman the now-active grenade with Joker's face printed on it. Batman's eyes grew wide and bolted the opposite way from Joker and Xack, while the clown himself began to drag her back to the van.
"BATMAN!" Xack screamed for him, trying to pull her arm free from Joker's tight grip.
Batman darted down the street through crowds of people screaming as he ran by them. When he turned a corner, some seconds later, an explosion came about, causing the ground to shake beneath everyone's feet. The shock of it knocked a few people down.
"No!" Xack shrieked. "Batman! BATMAN!" She screamed loudly again, hoping he would come back to save her. "You can't be dead! You're Batman! You can't die on me now!" She wailed in her thoughts.
Joker brought her to the van where Punch opened up the side doors. Joker threw her in and jumped inside himself. When Joker shut the doors, he pointed a demanding finger at Judy. "Step on it!" He bellowed, and Judy did not hesitate to leave.
As Judy drove off down the streets, Xack was thrashing wildly about, and Punch was having a tough time trying to keep her under control. "NO!" Xack continued to scream, slipping out of Punch's hands because of her body being slick from the rain water. "LET ME GO!"
"How hard is it to control a little girl?" Joker questioned to Punch, watching Xack trying to get away from them. Joker couldn't take anymore of it and rolled his eyes. "Move over, you big lug!" He told Punch irritably. "I'll show you how it's done!"
When Punch moved off her, Joker immediately took his place on top, holding her arms down at her sides with his. "Get me the mask!" He commanded in a straining voice, realizing that Xack is hard to keep down on the floor.
While Punch began looking for said item, Xack groaned tiredly for Joker to get off. "GET OFF OF ME!" Xack yelled furiously, eyeing Joker with rage.
Before she could attempt to thrash around again, Punch found Joker's mask and hurriedly handed it to him. "Aaahh..." Joker smiled and quickly put it over Xack's mouth. She gasped and eyes grew wide with shock at the repugnant odor she breathed in. She made little noises of protest, but soon enough, they fell on deaf ears when it grew dark all around her. The last thing she saw was Joker's triumphant grin on his face, peering down at her.
..."Why didn't you believe me? ...Why didn't you trust me? ...Why? ...Why? ... ...Why?..."...
author's note: Since I felt bad about the long gap between chapter 19 and 20, I thought I would do another chapter before I went back to deviantART for awhile and started drawing again, so...here it is. I hope you enjoy, and...from here on in, the chapters are (I think) mainly between Xack and Joker, so if you don't really like their chapters...I'm sorry then. There's nothing I can do. X)
to vanillaninja2032: lol, heck...even I'm not entirely sure where the relationship between Joker and Xack is heading! I guess we'll all find out together eventually. :)
to K T 129: Yep. Batman was stupid to leave Xack alone and not believe her about Joker...because...now look what's happened! I hope you liked this chapter. XD