I'm beggin' please
Stop playin' games

I don't know what this is
Cause you got me good
Just like you knew you would
I don't know what you do
but you do it well
I'm under your spell

You got me beggin' you for mercy
Why won't you release me?

'Mercy' by Duffy

When I got to the Gotham Theater, it was surrounded by police cars who, unfortunately, beat me here. Damn.

I tried to sneak past them, but was of course unsuccessful. "I'm sorry, ma'am." An officer said, blocking my path. "Orders are that no one is allowed in here for the rest of the day."

I nodded meekly, turning to leave and waiting for the officer to move on. Then, abruptly, I spun around and raced past him. "Hey!" He called from behind me, but I was already racing up the stairs. "Freeze!" That's when I heard guns cock and I did as the instructed, completely stopping a foot away from the door. Shit, I was so close!

"Turn around with your hands up!" I heard Commissioner Gordon's voice ring out clearly, and I decided it would be best to obey.

"Take off the sunglasses!" Gordon demanded of me. They thought I was the Joker or one of his goons. Great. I slowly took off the sunglasses, smiling sheepishly.

They all sighed in relief and lowered their guns. Gordon ran a hand through his hair, looking disheveled. "I guess I should've known it was you."

I shrugged guiltily. "Yeah, well, since you know its me, I guess I can go on in..."

Gordon shook his head quickly. "Of course not! Please come down right now, Ms. Williams. It's not safe."

"Oh, of course its not safe!" The Joker's voice was suddenly all around us. I instantly straightened, adrenaline pumping through my veins. "But she'll come in anyways, right, sugarplum? I'd come in quick, because there is going to be a sudden storm coming in from the north in about ten seconds. You wouldn't want to be caught up in one of those, now would you?"

I ran inside as Gordon and their men prepared for a fight. God, did I feel guilty. I skidded to a stop upon seeing two sharply-dressed men waiting for me. "May we take your coat, ma'am?" One of them asked me.

I raised an eyebrow. "I don't have a coat." It was only seventy-five degrees outside. How silly of me to not bring a coat!

The other one looked pointedly at my large sun hat. I got the gist and handed it to him, fluffing my hair self-consciously. "You could've just asked for my hat, idiot." I grumbled as they leg me down the hall towards the main theater.

I knew this theater like the back of my hand. I knew all the hiding spots, all the tricks, and all the dark places. If my friends were here, I was certain I could find them. If only I had a chance.

The men, very obviously goons, rather rudely led me and pushed me into the main theater. It was pitch black and I couldn't see a damn thing. Frowning, I slowly started walking down the aisles, feeling my way along the rows.

Suddenly, the lights flashed on and temporarily blinded me, making me stumble backwards and fall into a heap on the ground.

After I rubbed my eyes and looked up, I, unfortunately, saw the sight that I dreaded most.

There was the Joker, grinning impishly. And he was lounging in a chair.

No, not sitting. Lounging. Like a certain other man I know...

And it wasn't just any chair. It was the purple chair we used for royalty in plays.

I shuddered. We just had to have a purple chair.

After I get out of this, that thing is going to have to go. Preferably after being mangled and viciously burned.

"You're not all that original, y'know." I commented dryly. "The whole 'villain and heroine' thing. Yeah, it gets kinda old." At least he wasn't wearing feathers, like a certain other "villain" had. I stifled a random laugh.

"I can't help it if I have a thing for roleplay." He giggled, putting his hands behind his head and looking at me with a smug, sadistic gleam in his eyes.

My mouth dropped open a little in disgust at his suggestive implications. "Ew." Shaking my head, I got up off the ground and put my hands on my hips. "So where are my friends, you sick, crazy bastard?"

Putting on an innocent look that honestly did not suit him whatsoever, he simply pointed up.

Suspicious, I did so.

Oh. My. God.

I gasped, my hand flying up to cover my mouth in horror. Emily and Seth were bound, gagged, blindfolded, and hanging from thin ropes attached to two different production lights. And strapped across their middles were ticking bombs.

My eyes widened as I looked back at the Joker. "You bastard!" I cried. "What the hell do you want out of this?"

The Joker fluttered his eyelashes. "I just want to win."

"You're cheating." I growled in passionate annoyance. "This isn't fair!"

"Ah ta ta!" The Joker waggled his finger at me, pushing himself up into a tenser seated position. "You never said in the rules that it wasn't okay to cheat. It's not my fault you don't like the rules to your own game, now is it, sweetness?"

"It was implied!" I was livid. Beyond livid. I was so angry there wasn't even a word to describe what I was feeling. Then I paused, a stray thought wandering in. "Where's Batman?" I asked slowly.

The Joker cocked his head at my question. "Bats is a little preoccupied at the moment." He grinned, leaning in towards me slightly. I quickly leaned away, even though he was a good ten feet away from me.

"You hit him hard, sugarplum." He was abruptly serious, nodding his head knowingly. "Overtaking him was just too... easy for me. He was weak. It was almost like he wanted to get caught. He gave up." The Joker looked disgusted at the thought. "And it's all because of you." He said his sentence slowly, making sure I caught every word. His expression turned mockingly sympathetic as my jaw tightened. "You broke his little heart."

"I didn't mean to!" I said defensively, with a tinge of guilt. "I never meant to hurt him. It's not like I wanted to!"

"But you did." He shook his head sadly, though his eyes were shining triumphantly. "He can't save you now. And if he could, do you think he would still want to?"

My nostrils flared in temper and I stormed up closer to him, my hand raised and ready to slap the psychotic son of a bitch silly when I realized he wanted me to slap him. He was messing with my emotions because he wanted me to end the game, and thus effectively make me feel more guilty and horrified at my predicament. I hissed and drew my hands into my chest, taking a step back. "I hate you." I said lowly, with as much venom as I could muster. Which was quite a lot.

"But I loooove you!" He giggled and grinned broadly. "And so, I'll let you have all of them back if you'll just grant me one, teensy-weensy little favor." He said cheerfully, waiting patiently for me to ask for dramatic effect what exactly the favor was.

"What favor?" I asked as I was supposed to.

He beckoned me closer with a hand gesture. "Come touch me." He smiled, enjoying watching me squirm.

I froze, thinking quickly. What choice did I have? If I called Jareth, he would just grab me and declare the game over. And then other people would see Jareth, which would suck and be the perfect gateway (for the Joker) to have me announce to the world exactly who Jareth is. Or whatever the Joker has in mind.

I swallowed my pride and reluctantly stepped forward, reaching out to touch the Joker's smug face... I was now only a couple of inches away, and I hated seeing his triumphant grin, mocking me. Damn him, damn him...

I stopped abruptly, looking up at Emily and Seth. I was doing this for them. My pride broken, I looked back into the Joker's eyes and reached across those few inches to almost touch his nose.

Suddenly, there was a gun shot, knocking me backwards as the Joker backflipped over the couch and away from me, laughing hysterically. Stunned and confused, I turned to see Lieutenant Jim Gordon and his men rushing in to save me.

... It was over. I was going to make it out of this game victorious.

I think I could've cried.

But I decided that crying was not the thing to do in this stressful situation. There had to be something better to do besides crying like an idiot.

So, I did the only rational thing that came to mind.

I fainted.

Can you say, ULTIMATE CLIFFHANGER??

Muwhahahahaaaa!!! I had you all there for a second, didn't I? The Joker was going to win! And then didn't! Can you believe it??

Sorry for the shortness, by the way. I would've made this chapter longer, but school and everything is super busy right now.

Two chapters or so left, you guys! Can you believe it?

Thank you all for sticking with me this long. I hope you all liked the chapter, and so, please please please review!

Hugs! I love you guys so much!

Disclaimer: Nothing is owned besides the two goons who don't know the difference between a coat and a hat.