Calm Before the Storm
A/N: Ah, school messes up my mind my dears. I'm not sure about this chapter so bare with me until my muse returns. On a completely different note, I watched the Dark Knight Rises again the other day...Bane looks hot when he's hanging from the plane in his black shirt XD I just thought I should let you guys know! Although he doesn't compare to our clown prince of crime when he's hanging upside down from the cable at the end of teh move :D Anyway! Side notes:
FoxGoddess2416: Indeed, moustache!
Smiele: It's not a long one sorry! I hope its not too bad though.
The Mourning Dragon: They'll start to happen, dont worry! :D
SuperheroAnimeGeek: I tried the whole TV show thing and it worked XD I have you to thank for that ;D
TheCleverGirl : XD It gets more dramatic from here on out.
LaurenvBelladonna: It's horrible isnt it? Personally I hate waking up in the mornings D:
Erik-is-my-angel1234: Thank you! :D
Random Person 94: Arkham :D
NathalieIyper: Thank you, my dear ;D
LivinJgrl123: Three broken ribs and a broken nose, I think it was rather painful XD poor Joker! :D
ZenyZootSuit: He gets harassed even more in this chapter, and thank you for the review! :D
fallenangelrocker91: Indeed, it does. -_- lmao
Cloudy Momochi: I fall asleep really fast when Im tired to XD like in ten seconds Im out for good! Hope you enjoy this chapter!
messerpadfootforever: Thank you! :DD
She was scared of him.
No.
Monica was horrified.
The Joker's mocking laughter echoed around her in the darkness. She looked around trying to find the source. Her hair whipped after every sharp turn of her head, her breathing became hectic. Then she heard it, the familiar scraping of his knife against a brick wall.
The hairs on the back of her neck stood up as she looked around in fear. She knew it would come to this. She knew it and she had still stayed by his side when she should have run away, when she should have denied his requests and visits. Her mind didn't hesitate to remind her of all of the things that she was for letting it get so far.
Stupid.
Naïve.
Blind.
His laugh seemed to grow closer; a shiver ran up her spine at the lower tone he was using. She could almost see him standing in front of her. His eyes gleaming with amusement, the very same eyes that could see right through her. She had never been able to hide anything from him.
"Laugh for me, doll," his voice chuckled making her close her eyes in regret. There was no getting out of this one. The familiar scent of blood and gunpowder filled her senses alerting her of his presence. She felt a body behind her, she didn't even have to turn and look. She knew who it was.
"Why?" she asked, the single word barely audible as it slipped through her lips. A cold blade was slipped over her throat and held in place by a gloved purple hand.
Monica flinched back and cut herself in the process making the clown behind her scowl. She heard him tsk his disapproval before easing some of the pressure from the blade.
"You've done your job," his voice whispered in her ear. Monica glanced back and nearly wished she hadn't. She was met face to face with his pair of trademark scars. The one's she had longed to touch for so long with her hands.
As if sensing her sudden urge the Joker stepped back and dropped his smile. Monica found it difficult to control herself at the moment. She had probably gone mad; no normal person would have wanted to be so close to the clown in front of her. Yet, she longed for his presence; she wanted what no one else did.
"You're going to kill me, aren't you?" she asked, more to herself than him. She got no response from the purple clad clown staring back at her.
Instead, his smile returned full force.
Monica clenched her teeth and held back the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes. She wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry. Not now, not when she had stayed strong throughout the whole ride. Despite her mind telling her to beg for mercy she rose her head at the clown defiantly baring her neck to him.
He seemed taken aback by the action for a few seconds, his grip faltered on the knife and he blinked in confusion. Monica stared at him briefly as if memorizing his face before closing her eyes and waiting for him to finish her.
Time seemed to freeze as she felt the air around her dance. A moment later a warm liquid cascaded down her neck and chest. Her eyes opened in shock and surprise, she could no longer speak. The Joker stood frozen in front of her, his bloodied knife held loosely by his side.
Monica glanced down; her crimson blood gleamed back mockingly. She choked on her own blood; a trail ran down the side of her mouth. She reached out weakly for the clown in front of her who seemed to be enjoying himself greatly.
He caught her as she fell forward, her legs no longer obeying her commands. She choked once more as she tried to speak. Her eyes filled with desperation as he held her and knelt next to her on the ground. One of her hands griped the clown's arm in fear while the other held on to his vest. Her whole body shook, a sudden chill running through her.
Even as she lay dying the clown still seemed to hold his smile, he even let a laugh escape through his scarred lips. He shushed her and caressed her hair mockingly while shaking his head. Her vision started to blur and her breathing slowed steadily.
She couldn't hold her tears back any longer. They streamed down her face and mixed with the blood that continued to flow from her slit neck. Both of her hands held on to his coat and refused to let go when he pulled her closer to him, his smile growing wider.
She could only make out the makeup that he wore; the rest of her vision had left her by then. Her body went limp in his hold and as she drew her last breath she heard him chuckle something in her ear.
"Go to sleep, beautiful."
OoOoOoOoOoOoO
Monica woke with a start and sat up in her bed with a loud gasp. Her hand instinctively flew up to her neck. Nothing but smooth, uncut skin lay beneath her fingers. A relieved sigh escaped through her lips as she sat still. She tried to calm her racing heart and looked out of the window in an attempt to steady herself.
Snow fell from the dark clouded sky and covered the Narrows in a sheet of white. Her hand brushed the empty side of her bed and she instantly pulled it back as if it had been on fire. She stared at the space with rage in her eyes and then at the pillow that remained next to her own.
Her once white pillow was smudged with black and red from his makeup. She had forgotten to remove the pillowcase when she fell asleep. Her foot kicked it off of the bed and a smile graced he lips when she heard the pleasing thud of it hitting the floor. The smell of it and her constant thoughts about the clown had probably triggered the nightmare she had just had.
She rose from the bed and kicked the pillow aside as she walked over to her bathroom. The blinding white light irritated her sensitive eyes. After a moment of them finally getting adjusted she sighed at the sight before her.
The same color scheme seemed to be following her around. He had smeared white, black, and red grease pain all over her mirror and sink. Her white towels were now stained with the green from his hair dye. Water splashed onto her face as she tried to calm herself from having a breakdown.
Her mind didn't seem to register the array of bloodied knives that rested beside her until it was too late. The hand that had been searching for a towel to dry herself with wrapped around one of them. A horrified scream tore through her lips as she threw it aside and heard it clamor into her bathtub.
"Kid, are you ok?" Grumpy asked barging through her door still half asleep. Monica turned to look at him in shock as he stumbled over to her. Her scream must have woken him up; she instantly regretted not being able to control herself better.
"I'm fine, sorry for waking you," she murmured stepping out of the bathroom with a disturbed look on her face. Grumpy looked over her shoulder and shook his head when he noticed why she had panicked. The pile of knives was surrounded with splatters of blood.
His weariness disappeared in mere seconds once he saw how distressed she was. He walked over to her and wrapped an arm around her shaking shoulders. Monica allowed herself to be led away from the bathroom.
"Sorry about that," Grumpy mumbled closing the door shut while she sat on the edge of her bed. The goon noticed how she avoided the side where his boss had probably slept in. Cleaning up after the clown had completely slipped his mind.
"I hate him," Monica whispered looking around and noticing the different piles of playing cards that rested on every surface. The Joker's personal knives and guns were also scattered throughout her room which unnerved her. It had only been three hours since she had last seen the clown and he somehow managed to irritate her without even being there.
"You learn to overlook this," Grumpy informed her twirling one of the blades in his hand. He set it down carefully making sure it looked exactly the same. The clown would know he moved it if he didn't do it right and there would be hell to pay.
"I don't think I ever will," Monica replied shivering and pulling her blanket closer. Grumpy sighed, of course she wouldn't. She wasn't mean for this type of life; he actually regretted dragging her into it.
"I'll tell you what, let's go get something to eat and we'll forget all about the clown for a while," he offered making Monica look up at him. She glanced at the clock on her nigh stand and laughed when she saw how late it was.
"It's three in the morning, where are we going to go?" she asked incredulously as he shook his head and smiled at her.
"Being a goon has its advantages," he replied smiling at her. Monica found her own lips tugging upwards at the mere thought of going out to eat at such a late hour.
"Give me a minute to change," she replied before Grumpy shook his head at her and held out his hand. Monica stared at him in confusion before he spoke once more.
"Screw it, let's go, darling." She glanced down at her black sweats and white tank top in dismay.
"But-" she started before she was interrupted by the goon once more.
"Live a little, who cares what we look like?" Grumpy laughed as she took his hand and allowed herself to be led out into the living room. Several goons stared at the pair as Monica slipped on her boots and jacket while Grumpy grabbed the car keys and attempted to tame his disheveled hair.
The pair left and hurried over to the Trans Am that was parked in front of the building. The doors slammed shut after them as they attempted to warm themselves up. Grumpy turned the car on and blasted the heater.
He pulled out and stepped on the gas making Monica gasp in surprise next to him. A rush of adrenaline ran through her when they skid around a corner.
"We should do this more often!" she laughed excitedly as they weaved through the lone cars that remained on the streets. Grumpy nodded next to her enjoying the fact that she had completely forgotten the previous incident with the knives.
They pulled up to a small bar in the heart of Gotham. Monica could tell that the inside was lit with warm dim lights which made her feel welcome. They stepped out and rushed in once more in a desperate attempt to get out of the cold air outside.
"Ah, I haven't seen you in a while, my friend!" a voice boomed as soon as they entered making Monica jump in surprise. Her eyes landed on a tall, muscular man. His grey eyes bore into her own as he noticed her standing behind Grumpy in a desperate attempt to shield herself. "Who's this?" the man asked, his voice gravely as his eyes ran up and down Monica's body.
"Don't even think about it, she's with Joker," Grumpy told the other man warningly. The man, who Monica assumed was the owner, immediately pulled back and avoided looking at her. She rose her brow in interest, the mere mention of the clown had caused him to back off. Something about that pleased her.
"What'll it be this time, then?" the owner asked turning away from them and heading over to the bar. Grumpy walked after him and motioned for Monica to follow. She walked behind him quietly and avoided looking at the people that stared after her.
"Just get me some coffee and a couple of donuts," Grumpy replied sitting down at the end of the bar. Monica took the seat next to him and ordered the same thing, she didn't feel like eating anything else when it was that late.
As they waited the pair watched with amusement as the bartender flipped through the channels trying to find something good to watch. Monica glanced around and noticed that there were plenty of rough looking men sitting at the tables and booths. She wondered if they were all linked to Gotham's criminals, they had to be.
As her eyes scanned the tattoos on their skin she started to notice the connections. Some of them had the familiar scribbled on black eyes and red smile, she knew they worked for the Joker. Others had a scythe and a syringe crossing over one another, she assumed that they were Scarecrow's men. The mask that others had on their arms had to be linked to Bane.
The tattoos on the others confused her. Some of them had green question marks on their hands and knuckles. The penguin that was on the forearms of the other men amused her and made her wonder about who they worked for.
There were also those with sniper rifles tattooed onto their necks, it was obvious that whomever paid them for liked to handle guns.
A large top hat with a note on the side caught her attention as well, it read: 'In this style 10/6'. She wondered if it was merely a reference to Alice in Wonderland or if it actually meant something else.
Scars in the shape of five tally marks decorated the arms on others. Monica winced, hadn't it hurt when they had gotten them done?
She found that the small leaf and flower that several women and men had on their wrist attracted her. It was a pretty design and had an earthy feel to it that pleased her. Perhaps a woman was their employer?
Monica registered the coffee and plate of donuts that was placed in front of her moments before she went back to her observations. The word 'Freeze' in sharp icicle looking letters sent a chill down her spine when she saw it on the back of several people's necks.
She turned away from the strange men in the bar and tapped Grumpy on the shoulder to ask him about all of the tattoos only to get interrupted by a gasp from the bartender.
"Oh shit," Grumpy exclaimed, his words muffled by the donut he was eating. Monica turned to look at the TV screen and instantly choked on the coffee that she had been sipping,
"Joker's being transferred to Arkham?" one of the men commented, the scars on his chest indicating who he worked for. "He won't last more than a minute."
A scoff was heard from across the room.
"He'll last, hell, he'll drive all of the doctors mad!" one of the women commented raising her glass of beer exposing the flower on her wrist. Several others agreed and rose their glasses as well, they all knew what was going to happen the moment the clown prince of crime stepped into Arkham.
The report on the screen startled Monica as she watched it intently. News reporters and cops surrounded the police station where the clown was currently being kept. She rose from the stool she had been sitting in and grabbed her coffee along with two donuts.
"We're leaving," she snapped looking at Grumpy who nodded back with a donut in his mouth. Much like her he too took his coffee and a couple donuts before rushing out of the door after her. The pair entered the car without speaking a word and drove over to the already crowded street that led to the police station.
Monica sighed when she looked out of the window and noticed how slow the traffic was moving. She grew irritated and ended up opening the door to the car before rushing out of it. Grumpy called after her in disbelief as she ran down the crowded sidewalk.
She needed to know if he was ok. How could he have gotten caught? He was the Joker! This wasn't supposed to happen, right? Her mind kept trying to reassure her despite all of her worrying, perhaps this was all part of his plan. Yes, that had to be it.
The mass of people surrounding the entrance parted as she pushed past several camera men and reporters. A glimpse of jet black hair and green eyes caused her to rush over to the figure while waving her hand.
"Dante, what happened?" she asked catching her brother's attention. He motioned for the guard to let her through the small barricade. They had set it up to prevent the clown from attempting anything such as taking any hostages and to keep the people at a safe distance from him.
"The Joker's been caught, we're moving him to Arkham," her brother informed her as she looked over his shoulder. She tried to hide her desperation when she didn't see the clown right away. A moment later, however, she heard the roar of the crowd around her. Flashes from all of the cameras surrounded her as the whole police force formed a barrier around a single person.
Her heart sank when she finally saw the Joker. Her brother wrapped an arm around her shoulders attempting to comfort her thinking that the mere sight of the clown had upset her.
Monica bit her bottom lip when she noticed the three pairs of cuffs that they had placed around his wrists. They had been tightened more than necessary and cut into his pale skin. The dried blood around them made Monica want to punch several of the guards around him.
She couldn't explain the concern that she felt towards the psychopath but at the moment she didn't want to think about it. The mere sight of him in bloodied clothes brought distraught tears to her eyes.
Despite the smile that he flashed at the guards and cameras she knew something was clearly wrong with him. The way that his gloved hand cradled his side made her wonder what had happened to him. It had only been three hours since she had last seen him. What could he have possibly done to end up in such a beat up state?
"He ran into Bane," Monica whispered in sudden realization. That was the only explanation she could come up with at the moment. Her brother turned to look at her as she covered her mouth in shock.
"What?" he asked in confusion as Monica shook her head and lowered her hand. She put on a face that showered disinterest towards the clown that was being escorted towards them.
"Nothing," she replied forcing herself to smile. The way the Joker's hair had been matted by his own blood made her wince and look away briefly. Her attention was brought back to him when a guard shoved him forward after a hesitant pause from the clown. Monica watched as he attempted to catch his breath. The guard that had pushed him forward repeated the action in order to get the Joker to move.
Monica watched the clown's lips dip downwards in pain before his smile returned and he rose his head mockingly at the people around him.
She held her breath as he passed by and suddenly turned his head in her direction. His eyes locked with her own as if he was trying to say something to her. He winked at her before chuckling to himself only to receive a punch to his stomach by one of the guards. The Joker doubled over in apparent pain which made Monica step forward with worry.
Her brother's grip tightened around her shoulders and held her in place. She watched as the guards hurled the clown onto the back of one of trucks. They slammed the door shut behind him and headed over to the rest of the cars in order to escort him.
"Now that I remember, Bruce called, you have a lot of explaining to do," Dante started making Monica flinch away from him. She spotted Grumpy amongst all of the reporters and shook her head warningly . The goon nodded back and stayed in place once he noticed the police officer that held her in place.
"I have to go, can we talk about this later?" Monica asked breaking away from her brother. He stared at her and was about to protest when a police officer called his name and ordered him to get into the truck. Dante cursed when he noticed that he was going to be the one driving the clown over to Arkham.
He threw Monica one last 'This isn't over' look before stepping away and entering the large vehicle. She watched as her brother left and headed over to Grumpy who made his way over to her not caring about who he shoved aside.
"What are we going to do?" Monica asked quietly as he led her out of the crowd who still hung around the police station putting their stories together. Grumpy turned to look at her and shook his head.
"The boss had this planned, there's no way he got caught on accident," he explained. Monica nodded in understanding as she pushed past several reports who ranted on about the story while broadcasting live.
"Dr. Harleen Quinzel shall be assessing this particular case," one of the reporters commented catching Monica's attention. She brushed the thought aside after realizing how insignificant it was. The Joker would probably break the woman as soon as they put him in a room with her.
"We have to get some supplies," Grumpy informed her once they reached the car. Monica nodded back and fell back onto the leather seat. She didn't like the feeling of peace that settled over her when Grumpy started to drive. Something kept telling her to worry, to celebrate that the clown was in an insane asylum, to deny any contact with him and his goons.
Monica couldn't believe how accustomed she had grown to the Joker and his men. She no longer felt threatened whenever she was around them, on the contrary, she felt safe whenever they were near. Her mind argued that she was starting to lose herself amongst all of the chaos that surrounded the clown. Monica pushed the thought aside, she didn't care anymore, not after all of the people that had betrayed her.
Her eyelids grew heavy as Grumpy stepped on the gas causing the car to lurch forward and race down the empty streets. The last thought she registered before she fell asleep was an image of the Joker being dragged over to the van. The wink he had given her remained burned in the back of her mind. She couldn't shake the feeling that he had been trying to say something.
She fell into a deep slumber unaware that tomorrow would mark Gotham's downfall.
Unaware that the Joker would unleash chaos upon the city.
Unaware that tomorrow, nothing would ever be the same again.
Review! We're almost there, don't make me pay 20 bucks! D:
