Hey guys! I finally finished the next chapter. I got some last minute inspiration and finished it right up. I apologize for any typos/grammatical erros I'm no professional. Nothing belongs to me but my plot and OCs the rest is DC comics. Oh and to Biku-sensei-sez-meow.. "Meow!" you were a big motivation to get writing again so thank you. I hope you guys enjoy the chapter!

Circus Initiation

Chapter 25

Joker pulled the trigger again and a man with semi automatic rifle went down. Harvey didn't have much of an army..he managed to breeze through half of them lazily sitting at the front gate. You can't trust the help nowadays. You gotta' do everything yourself.

"Where is Harvey Dent?!" He roared over random gunfire. He rammed down a man pulling out a stun gun and smashed his fist into his nose. There was a satisfying crunch and blood spurted out.

"P-please." The man begged. Joker put the gun to his forehead and pulled the trigger without blinking. He stood once again and suddenly he felt...strange..like his vision was going fuzzy. He looked up just in time to see Alex and Batman emerge from a door to the nearest warehouse. They locked eyes for a moment and he saw her mouth for his name on her lips 'Jack' before endless darkness.

Just as suddenly it was too bright. There was a familiar grunt and suddenly someones fist made contact with his jaw. He fell back and held himself up against what he assumed was a wall.

"Let me take over from here, Jacky." Jack squinted and saw the monster..it had bided it's time until now..just let him take over. Jack was exhausted..he couldn't help but close his eyes.

(Alex)

I kept hoping Chloe would bust in and save the day with a big smile but she never did. Suddenly, there were more gunshots and shouts outside.

"How are you going to get these off?" Less than a second later a stray bullet hit the window above me. It shattered glass raining down. I covered my head and neck with my hands then made a mad dash to grab a piece and half a thought to slide one to Batman as well. I began to cut and it began to reopen the cut already on my palm. It suddenly got colder as I got to my feet. I rushed to the door with Batman, peering out. He suddenly took my elbow and pulled me back.

"Hey!" I hissed.

"We do this my way."

"I didn't ask for your help and quite frankly I don't need it. I'm not your responsibility. No offense, 'Batman' but you're practically a vigilante..and Gordon's watchdog."

"You're my responsibility..what about your father? He must be worried about you." He said. I paused. My dad, Bruce. I raised my chin.

"He must know by now that I can handle myself."

"Can you?" Batman challenged. He was starting to get on my nerves. I didn't answer him just threw open the door and witnessed Jack shooting a man in the head before slowly standing. Our gazes locked.

"Jack!" But then I lost him. He went down, twitching and shaking. I didn't think just ran to him. Was he having a seizure? What was going on?

"Alex!" Batman yelled behind me. I knelt next to him and brushed a few greasy locks of hair back from his white painted forehead..I couldn't help but noticing it looked fresh. Then several things happened at once. Jack's eyes flew open and my first hazy thought was he looked like himself..but didn't look like himself. Then his black eyes met mine. We only had seconds to look at each other before Batman grabbed my arm and yanked me and away from him.

BANG!

The shot echoed around us and I caught sight of Harvey, pointing the gun at me..

(Joker)

'Just give in, Jacky.'

Feeling triumphant, Joker opened his eyes and looked at the beauty staring doe eyed down at him. He took care to notice the scar that caused the corner of her eye and mouth to have a slight droop but it didn't dampen the rest of her features. It was over too soon as she was pulled away from him by Batman..until..BANG!

That familiar sounds of gunshots instantly triggered something in him and had Joker up and moving, already realizing the girl going down and Harvey with the weapon. Joker sprang up and made beeline for him. Harvey almost had enough time to pull the trigger once more but Joker was too quick. He tackled twoface, kicked his gun away and silently drug him closer to where Alex had fallen and was now clutching her side. He wasn't doing too good on his promise of keeping her safe...ah well, she's still breathing. Harvey was already flailing to get an advantage in thier little scuffle but Joker was having none of it. He looked up to see Alex and Batman staring transfixed at him. Well, Alex was staring Batman was still trying to pull her farther from him. Not caring Joker slammed Harvey's face down on the concrete and grinded. Hard. He laughed over his grunts of pain.

"A classy Italian wants your head...and I'm gonna give it to him." His tongue flicked out to feel the familiar scar tissue."Two face-uh. But first I have more important business to attend to." He then looked up at Alex who was gasping and panting but her eyes were on him..maybe she was enjoying the show. He sure was.

He took a moment while Harvey lost conciousness to study her. Her dark hair was lusciously wavy, accentuating the pale glow of her skin and flushed pink cheeks why she looked just like a walking doll. Her cheekbones were prominent and she had deep bruises under her eyes from lack of sleep or stress. Her skin a little stretched over her bones..still a real dollface nonetheless.

Suddenly, he wanted her. He had to have her, taste her, whatever he desired most. Growling possessively he dropped Harvey like dead weight and started to close the distance between them. But there was a mountain of black moving in front of his prize. He growled and came eye to eye with him ..the Batman. He suddenly giggled.

"You know, I love games and you are my favorite unstoppable force."

"Jack?" Alex said softly. "Is that you?" He paused and looked down at her. Had she really figured it out..that there were two of them? One slightly more charming in his opinion but that was besides the point. He grinned rather nastily.

"'Fraid not, Doll." What little color she had drained from her face and it didn't lessen his grin.

Batman flung out a fist when he thought Joker would least expect it. Catching it in his palm he punched Batman in the side. His single second of hesitation gave Joker the time to throw his leg up and kick him back down to the concrete in a few fluid movements. He could already feel the anger at seeing her hurt but it didn't belong to him. It was radiating off of Jack..but he used it to help fuel himself. He quickly cracked his neck while Batman sprung back up.

"Hide, Alexandria!"

She was going to hide all right, but he particularly enjoyed the thought of hunting her down..their own private little game. Joker flipped a knife out.

"Come on, Batty boy." Batman leapt and his fist made contact with his jaw. That felt good. He swung the knife and cut through the armour on his arm. He gripped the knife and quickly stabbed it through Batman's thigh. Batty pulled it out with a grunt, a fine layer of red covered the blade to the hilt. A frustrated yell escaped his mouth and Joker laughed.

"That's right. Get mad..once I'm done with you I know who I'm playing hide and seek with." He smacked his scarlet lips together.

"Stay away from her!"

"You're really no fun, Batty." Joker took out a set of handcuffs he got from Maroni and made his move. Batman leapt away from him but he jumped on his cape and knocked him down with his body weight. Joker punched Batman across the face several times, laughing maniacally. He was suddenly thrown off and rolled as soon as he made contact with pavement, missing one of Batman's little sharp gadgets by inches. He was aware of him following, hoping to get a strike in but Joker had other plans. He swung the handcuffs hard and they made contact with Batty's face. He then slapped one around his wrist and twisted his arm behind his back. He giggled deep in his throat as he clicked the other side around one of the outside steel poles that held the awning.

Joke stepped back a moment to enjoy his handiwork then he frowned. No. This was too easy...

"You're a little distracted, Batty. Did you miss me that much or is it just that beautiful girl? What's she to you?" He paused to think for a moment. "Or maybe Gordon?" When he didn't answer Joker went to Harvey and drug him by the feet to the steel pole opposite Batmans and handcuffed him as well.

"Sleep tight." Joker grinned at Twoface. "Now for my real entertainment." He went to head in the last direction he last saw Alex in.

"What do you want with her?" Batman suddenly demanded. "You ask what she is to me..what is she to you..if you aren't Jack?" So Batman did hear her breathe Jacky's name.

"She'll be collateral damage if we don't get her off the playing field." The confusion on Batmans face already told him he never expected Joker to desire to keep a player alive.

"You should be worrying about Harvey." He giggled. "He seems to really have it in for that girl."

"Why should I worry? You got Harvey. He's caught." Batman pulled at the handcuffs several times but knew it was useless.

"Because I don't think he's working alone." Joker growled and turned to find Alex.

(Alex)

The sound of Harveys screams and Jokers laughs as the burnt skin on his face smeared on concrete. It would haunt me forever. I found I could limp if held onto the walls and bit my lip until it bled. I had passed several small buildings no bigger than a couple classrooms. The pain in my side was so sharp I had to stop and lean against the brick trying to catch my breath and stop sweating through the cold. The air pierced my lungs and I forced myself to go further. Just ahead of me was a promising looking building to hide in but I had to climb up some steps. I grabbed the steel beams that seemed to be everywhere and pulled myself up the steps. As I hopped up on the top one I turned back just in time to see the purple suit and green tinted hair round the corner Shit! I practically dove through the dark doorway and immediately tripped on something on the floor. I gasped without meaning to as I hit the floor hard knees first. I looked up into the light streaming in..illuminating a body of a young man with a small knife still stuck in his neck. Joker didn't do that, did he?

Swallowing hard, I pulled the knife out with a nasty squelching sound. I managed to get up and limp down to the last door with my heart thundering in my chest it made it hard for me to breathe. And to think clearly. I shut the door as soon as his shadow covered the dead body. I took a moment to see that my 'battlewound' wasn't as bad as I thought.

It was literally just a graze. I was bleeding but it could have been so much worse. That didn't stop it from hurting it like a bitch though so much I had to do the pregnant woman breathing just to manage.

"Allexx," Jokers mocking voice as he sang my name sent both a chill and a sexual thrill throughout my entire body and it confused me. I couldn't keep doing this forever. I didn't want to. I was confused because even though I was hiding from him I wanted nothing more than for him to put his arms around me and say everything was okay and he loved me, even if he had to struggle to say it. Or even show it. But this?

"Alex?" He said again and I jumped at how much closer his voice sounded. I heard him slowly turn the locked doorknob to my hiding spot and I held my breath. "You know," He saw. "There's no keyhole." Shit. I felt more like a madmans possession in that moment. He had gone darker since the safe house. Where was the Jack that held me naked in his arms in my own bed? I was afraid of him.

"Don't try my patience, love. I know you're in there. Just let me in. I've got some medicine to make you feel all better." His tone made me want to hide.

Did he really? Or was he just saying that to get me to open the door?

"Promise you won't hurt me?" I dared to whisper to the thin wood of the door.

"I don't want to hurt you. I want to patch you up and make you feel real good. Whaddya say?" His voice had taken a slightly seductive tone.

"I love you, Jack..do you love me, too?" His hesitation was all I needed to hear. "You're so full of it, Joker!" I hissed as though calling him by his real name was an insult. I wasted no time running to the opposite side of the room. There was a window and I flipped the lock and pushed up as hard as I could. Only one problem..it wouldn't budge at all. I tried again.

"Alex!" He yelled and his voice made me jump. The window wouldn't open..there was a sudden splitting crack. The door came thundering down off the hinges and onto the floor loud enough to make someone pee their pants, not that I did. Thank God. I was trapped.

I spun to face him and he looked frightening. His shoulders were hunched and his breathing irregular..like a predator about to leap. His eyes, which I remembered being a soft hazel, were now a soulless black. He suddenly moved a step or two forward without warning and I jumped backwards knocking my grazed side into the table. A white hot flash of pain seared through my side and I went down landing hard on my butt. The tears feel beyond my ability to hold them back any longer. He slowly came forward not looking away from me.

"Please..please don't kill me." I couldn't help it. I didn't want to beg but I didn't want to die..not by the hand of someone I cared for..someone I loved in my own sick way. All I could think about was him turning on his own clown that night, stabbing him in the chest over and over. Maybe I was more trouble than I was worth and he was done toying with me now. A noise made me jump out of my skin until I realized it was Joker clearing his throat dramatically.

"Alex..Alex," He said playful sounding. He gripped my arms to lift me onto the table but I squirmed and tried to throw a fist at him. He caught it with a laugh and held my hands down together in one of his.

"I dont think Jacky would like it if I hurt you too much, Doll. I did make a promise after all."

"What promise? Where's Jack?" He blinked and pointed a finger to his temple.

"Does it frighten you, Alex? That Jacks gone and the Joker came out to play? That's what you've been saying the entire time!" His playful tone turned hard and he even raised his voice. "That you want us BOTH?!" He yelled. He suddenly slipped inbetween my knees and released my hands. He was looking smugly down at me but I refused to look back at him.

"I see what all Jackys fuss is about. Aren't you just sooo fragile. Almost compelling." When I still said nothing his hand clenched my jaw a little too roughly and made me look at him. He waved a medical kit that seemed to come from nowhere.

"Now that we're done playing games..can I patch you up? What would Jacky do?" He giggled to himself. He didn't wait for an answer just pushed me backwards onto the table my head almost fell off the other side. "I need you in tippy top shape. I like this position." He said and suddenly my wound was on fire.

"What the fuck is that?!" I gasped. My legs came up automatically and I kicked him back from me. He held up a little bottle of rubbing alcohol and giggled again.

"Gotta' clean it."

I didn't even bother to sit up as he took out a huge square bandage and a needle and thread.

"So who are you really?" I found myself asking. "What's under the paint, Ja- I mean Joker."

"You really want to know? Not just what makes us tick or what we like to eat for dinner. I'm talking about all the way into the madness that you yourself might come out mad." He grinned. Of course... all I got was psycho babble so I sat up and looked him in the eye first that time.

"Are you going to hurt me?"

"You keep asking me that like you want me to. Do you?" He raised an eyebrow. "Cuz I have a knife right here." He quickly reached in his pocket and snapped it open. I silently shook my head. "Didn't think so." I laid back down.

"I've got a little sedative if you want it. I need to give you a few stitches." I hesitated long enough for him to roll his eyes. "If Jacky wants you I can tolerate your existence." I didn't know if I imagined his eyes flick over my body but it did make me feel more vulnerable. I also didn't know if I would be able to speak so I just nodded.

He grabbed a band and tied it around my arm until a vein appeared. I shut my eyes right before he uncapped the needle. I felt a sharp prick on my skin and then it was already over.

"Night." He said as he looked at me..I hoped I wouldn't regret this. Right before my vision went all the way dark I heard him say.

"Oh, and by the way..Chloe is dead." Then I was gone.