I will slowly but surely finish this story one day but honestly I'm just going to keep going until I run out of ideas. I own nothing but my OCs and some of the plot the rest belongs to DC comics. Sorry for any typos/grammatical errors I suck at editing, I hope everyone had a great Halloween, has a great Thanksgiving and Christmas or whatever winter holidays you celebrate. I hope you enjoy the chapter.

Circus Initiation

Chapter 36

(Joker)

Joker jerked up the neck flaps on his new coat against the winter breeze and to hide his scars from the passerbys along Gothams busy streets. It was late afternoon now, the sun sinking and sky shifting colors. It was only six but the days were shorter in winter. He hadn't found Crane anywhere and he wasn't picking up his phone. His first thought was he had ditched the clown and Joker admitted thinking some of his bad karma of ripple people off was in turn getting him ripped off. But his gut had him thinking something else..someone found him. Maybe Gordon or Batman? Maybe the Bastionnes? Should he walk there or take the subway ride later? Joker wanted to be in two places at once right now finding Crane and following the Russian/Butler duo. Maronis behavior earlier made him just a tad uneasy. He was hoping for Alexs sake she would get to finish school before he whisked her away whether she liked it or not. He started to plan just that during their break from one another, he was just so bored without her. If he had taken her away any sooner she would have fought him tooth and nail and although that didn't bother him too much he couldn't bear the thought of her being angry and crying the entire time, that's not who he wanted. So he waiting and dealing with the petty drama of rich men in the meantime. Gotta love the big city, he thought with a laugh. Screw it, he would ride the subway until he figured out what to do.

He sat in the back of the last subway car leaning against the seat with a hand clutching his knife in his pocket. Joker never looked down from the other passengers concerned that the moment he did someone would jump him. There was an abundance of loonies in the city depending on where you lived and worked. The last stop had been more on the middle class side of the city and those people seemed harmless. Joker looked out of the window watching the orange lights whip by. Two more stops and they were heading back towards the citys center and he found himself with one other person in the car. She was about eight or nine and she was crying softly. He sat there and stared at her a moment getting unwilling flashbacks of a younger more innocent Jack crying in the corner of his bedroom most nights.

Jack didn't really think then he just stood and approached her rather slowly as though not to scare her into running off. He kept a good three seats away from her so he could hide the side of his face and his movements hadn't gone unnoticed. He big tear blue eyes blinked in his direction and he attempted a least frightening smile.

"Why so serious, Kid? What's with the tears?" He asked and she sniffed.

"I'm not supposed to talk to strangers but..but," She looked like she was going to start crying again.

"But what? You lost? Got separated from your mom?" She nodded and held her bag tighter.

"I got lost. I sometimes ride alone but I fell asleep and I never go this far. We just moved here a few months ago so I don't really know my way." Her voice shook.

"Well..it does circle back around eventually. Do you remember where you got on?"

"No, Sir. But I should know it when I see it." She paused and looked at him better but he pretended to look down at the time on his phone. "I'm Diana." She looked back down at her hands. She was trying to not be strangers anymore.

"Jack." He replied.

"Will you help me get home, Jack?"

"Yes." He answered with no hesitation and was prepared to wait with her until she recognized her stop. Jack was hoping the ride wasn't too long though. Crane had escaped his mind and he decided to drop by the Bastionnes place for a quick look see but he needed to go with something other than the knife.

"Where are you going?" For a second Jack thought destiny or fate had whispered to him but it was just Diana who apparently needed small talk.

"Well, I spent some time with my..," He paused again at what to call Alex. "Lady friend." He trailed off awkwardly.

"I'm eleven. I know what a girlfriend is." She smiled, revealing a missing tooth and she was small for her age...he had sworn nine. He smiled down at his shoes and crossed his arms over his chest.

"So I spent time with my...girlfriend..and now I'm going to find my other friend because we were supposed to meet today and he never showed up."

"Some friend..," She mumbled.

"It's more complicated than that."

"Grown up problems?" She said in a way that suggested she had been thrown 'it's complicated' before.

"Something like that. Why did you move to Gotham?"

"My mommy said I'm not allowed to talk about her job but she catches bad guys!"

"Ooh? Like a police woman?" Jack asked.

"No..something else but she did tell me about something scary that happened today." She smiled like she didn't care about getting in trouble for telling. "They were talking about a man with a long coat and metal on his face...how he's dangerous."

"Know this 'dangerous' mans name?"

She shook her head. "No..just that he has metall..,"

"Yeah..on his face." He sighed. "I hear ya'."

"She did about another more dangerous bad guy."

"Oh yeah? Know that ones name?"

"Joker. Because he paints his face like a clown." His attention focused on her again and a little pride at her knowing him made him feel somewhat famous.

"Do you like clowns?" He asked finding himself interested in continuing this game with her.

"Nice ones...I guess." Her answer made him smile a bit.

"Do you think he's a bad guy?"

"I don't know him and my momma said he is. She said I should run away from him if I know what's good for me."

"It's good to listen to your mother...she's right. Which is why you shouldn't fall asleep on the subway if you're going to ride alone. It's dangerous, too."

"How do I know you're not dangerous?" You are a stanger after all." Diana asked and he watched her put another seat between them. Jack chuckled under his breath.

"I guess it depends on the day now."

"This looks like my usual stop!" She suddenly stood quickly with her bag in her hand. "There's the spray painted dog on the wall." Jack stood as the subway came to a complete halt and when the doors opened he stepped out with the girl.

"Sure you can find your way from here?" He asked looking around at the citizens boarding and exiting the subway.

"Yes I can. Thanks, Jack. Do you think we will see each other on the cars again?" Jack noticed two things at once that came off as a bit sketchy..a thin man undeniably watching the two of them and across the walkway from him a girl in a hat was staring at them also, although the girl was trying to hide the fact that she kept looking every few seconds the man was not.

"Maybe sooner than you think." Jack answered Diana dreamily wondering if they were watching him or her. "Let me walk you up to the street at least." He didn't take no for an answer and walked beside the girl as she chatted about how excited she was for Christmas soon. Jack was barely listening as he noticed the man and woman both following after them. Diana was oblivious. They kept a normal pace up the cement steps to the entrance and snowy sidewalk.

"Bye, Jack." Diana waved and he waved back on impulse at feeling on the spot. He watched her blonde head bob slowly away and Jack took a few steps in the opposite direction. The man from downstairs was now following Diana with intent and the woman was pretending to look at a magazine.

He turned to keep walking the opposite way and watched the woman continue to follow him. He couldn't keep walking away from that girl knowing that man had something not so nice about him. He turned on the spot and misjudging the womans speed, collided with her on the sidewalk. Jack stood over her slightly agitated as she fell to the concrete, her hat and sunglasses falling from her head and he saw her long orange hair tumble out from under her hat. It was Alexs little friend..why was she following him? She must have known he was even without the makeup by the way her eyes had gotten huge. He spared her no words just walked around her back in Dianas direction.

"Hey! Wait a minute!" He heard her say behind him but he started to walk faster..not seeing Diana or the skinny man yet. He pushed past several people and saw her take a right ahead of him onto a small adjoining street and the man followed right after..they would be secluded there.

Jack broke into a run not really questioning his sudden urge to play hero. He skidded slightly trying to stop on the ice to the streets entrance and found himself right. The man had grabbed the girls bag and was going through it..Diana tried to inch along the wall away from him but the mans skelton like arm held her in place. Diana saw Jack standing there and he shook his head telling her to be quiet as he neared them taking his knife out of his pocket. If he could make it a few more feet without him turning around he could get the jump on him and stab him a few times beforer skinny even knew what was happening.

"Hey!" His stomach dropped as the redheads shout echoed behind him completely blowing his surprise advantage. What did this girl want? The man turned seeing his knife and bolted with Diana's bag...so he was weaponless waiting to overpower someone half his size.

"Stay with her!" Jack yelled at Riley so loud she visibly jumped and looked to frightened little girl he was referring to. Jack followed the man wanting him to know he wasn't just going to escape he wouldn't even leave with his life! The alley came to an end by a brick wall too high for him to jump, the scrawny mouse dropped the bag in panic realizing he was trapped.

"Come on, man. I wasn't going to hurt her!" He whined and his hood fell revealing a shaved head..Jack noted he was missing an ear as though it had been cut off same with two of his fingertips. Punishment for trespassing in others territory or perhaps upsetting someone he worked for? He looked like bottom feeder.

"Perhaps I shoud let you go..after you give the little one an apology for scaring her." He growled finding the Joker speaking in his tone and the mans eyes widened putting two and two together as he saw his scars.

"I'll tell you everything just dont kill me..everyone keeps telling me that." Jack observed him rubbing his head and looking to be on the verge of a psychotic breakdown. Joker picked up her bag and looked through it..nothing worth stealing. Tell him everything? What was there to tell? Wasn't this just a random failed mugging?

"What do you mean?" Joker snarled impatiently. "TELL ME!" He yelled and took a threatening step forward. A sudden beeping reached his ears and the man suddenly doubled his movements. He began running in place crying and whimpering while he scratched the back of his neck so hard his fingers came back bloody.

"No!" He yelled. "It wasn't my fault! I had the girl I had her!" The mans neck began to swell and twist spreading to his head and inflating slowly like a balloon. Jack took a few steps back and a second later was thrilled that he did. The mans head inflated and stretched before...POP! His head exploded and splattered the ground in blood even the air was raining bits of flesh and brain for a few moments that Jack couldn't avoid.

His ears were suddenly pierced with the girls screams right behind him. He was panting a bit in shock as he turned to look at the wide eyed girls. When none of them made to move or speak he lifted her surprisingly clean bag and handed it out to Diana. As she silently and slowly took her bag from him she thanked him quietly..both of them were good looks at his cheeks now and he swallowed his irritation.

His mind suddenly thought about this man with the metal on his face..the fact that her mom 'caught' bad guys. Was someone after Diana because of who her mother was or her job she performed?

"What the fuck?!" Riley exclaimed and she was visibly trembling. Diana stood still and calmly stared down at the body.

"I saw him before..watching my mom and me at the grocery store a few days ago."

"So not random." He muttered..hmm imagine what he just stumbled upon. More Problems.

"How did that happen? Does Alex know the crazy shit that happens around you?!" Riley shot out.

Despite witnessing a murder, Diana asked "Is Alex your girlfriend you were talking about?" It was a little too much for him at the moment. Suddenly his whole life flashed before his eyes...his horrible childhood, his next horrible teen years when he made the front page news several times as the law declared him this killer or that killer and he was never caught. Joker had grown braver in his later years adopting his makeup and no longer hiding in the shadows, he wanted to hurt people to have everyone know his name and tremble at the mere sound of it. Joker went from hidden crime to openly toying with the police, dangling the bait constantly in their faces and it gave him the biggest thrill. He didn't count on the curveball that was thrown at him..Alex and the drama of her family and those she wanted to keep safe like her friend Riley. He looked down at the body and these two girls looking to him for answers at that moment..he was surprised they weren't running the other direction to get the police themselves. He bent down and examined what was left of the mans neck and spine..something had killed him from the inside out. Flashbacks to his bomb in a mans stitched stomach came to the surface.

"We walk her home." He told Riley in a tone that said she had no choice. "You'll explain to her mother that you rode the subway together she got lost and you were followed. Luckily you know some self defense and the man ran off." He pocketed his knife and took a few pleasant icy breaths as he looked around for bystanders.

"How did I get dragged into this?" Riley demanded, seeming to forget who he was.

"The moment I caught you tailing me-uh. Why?" He demanded unkindly. Diana looked between the two of them and when Riley refused to answer he gave her a rough, impatient shove.

"Walk next to her all the way home."

"So I can't mention you at all?" Diana asked innocently and Jack growled very Joker like not liking that these girls were listening to him..letting him guide them when he should be chasing and they should be running from him.

"Do not mention at all. Either of you." He started to hang back and let the girls take the lead to survey the people out and about but no one seemed to be watching or following.

"So whats your girlfriend like?" Diana asked playfully. "The Joker can't be all bad if he has a girlfriend right?"

"Don't be so sure." Riley mumbled.

"Diana!" A womans shriek had Joker dodging the turn to the nicer homes. He watched hidden while Riley delivered her to hysterically crying woman..in an FBI uniform..hmm..

He watched for a few moments as Riley began to explain his fake story and the mother insisted on taking her statement and making a police report right there. Joker left the girls and was relieved to be alone and his own responsiblity. It was about nine in the evening now and the temperature change had finally caught up with him. He could sneak up Alex's balcony for a hot shower and some nice company. Something told him Batman and the other two might already be there..best to move on. Back to Maronis was an option but again the man he tried to kill and the man he did mange to kill might be there and he didn't need to be stabbed in his sleep.

He went back to thinking of where Crane had gotten to and Joker was almost out of patience for the end game. He should storm the place, kill the Bastionnes and figure out a way to take the core of that machine with him. He had been walking for about half an hour until he realized he knew where that loud mouthed redhead lived..after screwing up his plan and failing to answer why she was stalking him she could hide him away to sleep for the night whether she liked it or not. He tried to call Crane a few more times as he walked to her house on the corner but was met with instant voicemail beeps. Jokers fingers had gone numb a while ago so opening the back door had been an effort but it slid right open. People should really remember to lock their doors. He stealthily checked the house for anyone else but he was alone until Riley or her parents got home first. He helped himself to snacks in their pantry and a beer from their fridge and then took a better look around. There was a collection of litle fairy figurines on every windowsill and a few dream catchers hanging at random places. The slightly cross eyed cat never moved from the back of the sofa and Jack thought it might spring on him if he made a wrong move.

Making his way down the hall he stopped before the guest room Alex had snuck him in and found a room with lime green walls hand painted vines and flowers going all the way around. He stepped inside and observed the pictures on the dresser quickly glancing over the pipe filled with ash on one corner and a stack of some of the same books Alex owned on the other side. Joker stared out of her window facing the snowy side yard and was relieved that feeling had come back to his body. He was just looking at her medals and achievements pinned to her wall when a little gasp sounded behind him. He turned and watched Riley glare at him.

"Thanks for ditching me in the cold." She sank onto her bed a little too comfortable around him for his liking and the next thing he knew he flipped his knife out to watch her reaction of fear and she didn't disappoint.

"Where were you following me, hmm? Don't you know what happens to peple who piss me off?" He moved closer and waved his knife near her throat she had tried to back up but she was trapped by her wall.

"You saved that little girl tonight. Why don't you want people to know?" She boldly asked and wondered if Alexs mouth was influencing this one.

"Where were you there?" He demanded.

"Why'd you save that little girl?" She shot back.

"Who lives here with you and when are they coming back?" He savored the tingles of pleasure racing up his spine as she went tense..of course she thought he meant to kill whoever was coming..he just wanted to sleep undetected.

"Just..just my mom but she's a nurse and always prefers the night shift.

"Good." He backed out of the room and said. "I'll be gone in the morning." Joker then helped himself to a shower and the guest room. Once he was lying under the blankets and staring up at the ceiling he wondered if Alexs day had been less eventful.

(Alex)

I stood upstairs in my bedroom and looked quickly through the pictures from Maroni's vacation home. I had dressed in a nice deep purple dress with a black sweater for some meeting Gordon had called the night before. There was going to be press and police, people of power and their families, my dad wanted me to attend so I was attending. I hid the camera when I heard footsteps coming. There was one knock and then Bruce came in obviously trying to look like his usual rich and primed self but he was lacking color and his hair was messier than his usual do.

"Are you almost ready?"

"Yeah. You didn't tell me what this meeting was about..and it's going to be on TV?" I asked as we walked down the stairs to the kitchen. He cleared his throat.

"Yes, it's going to be on TV and even I don't know everything."

"Bet Batman knows." I scowled and turned my back on him, pretending I was looking for a quick lunch before we left.

"I'll wait in the car." He mumbled and then I heard the front door open and close. I sighed and I actually felt my body relax. I really enjoyed my alone time these days. I ate a quick granola bar and chugged some orange juice from the cartoon before followin him outside. I closed the door behind me and looked up in time to see my dads fist swing in slow motion making a crunching contact with Alfreds nose. I gasped and Kane suddenly appeared from a parked car in our driveway.

"Whats going on, Alfed? Were you ever even dead?!" I stayed quiet and still not wanting him to know I knew any of this..actually a part of me wanted to hear this conversation just as badly. Bruce didn't wait for him to answer even though he cracked his nose back into place.

"He was meeting the Joker on a rooftop!" He turned glaring accusing eyes on Kane. He met Joker and no one told me? Why?

"Perhaps we should go inside? Sit down and chat? Your meeting isn't for another few hours or so. Please, Master Wayne I have much to tell you and Alexandria and some to tell you alone as well." A shiver traveled up my spine..was this finally going to shed some light on things? In my opinion this press meeting could wait.

"I'm going back in while you make up you rmind. It's cold." I huffed and turned to go back inside hearing shuffling steps behind me. Alfred led himself to the living room while I went to the kitchen and made him some tea and grabbed one of Kane's Russian sodas he had left in the fridge. My dad looked at me incredulously as I brought them their drinks.

"Did you want something?" I asked innocently.

"He was dead." He stated at me.

"Yes, he was..,"

"You knew he was alive." He growled. "I'll take a shot of whiskey..or several." I scrambled to grab that and my hot chocolate eager for what Alfred had to say. Kane walked into the kitchen and I immediately turned to him.

"What did you and Joker have to meet about and why all of a sudden does Alfred want to confess things to my dad?" I asked.

"Plans needed to take a turn. We thinks its more helpful if we all put our differences aside and eliminate the threat together."

"We as in?" I asked.

"As in us, Batman, the police, Maroni." I noticed he failed to mention Joker.

"And the meeting?"

He paused as though debating on telling me something but he went through with it.

"He attempted to kill me and I know that's normal for him and Batman was there to intervene but I take personally and I am going to settle the score."

"How?"

"Pushed me off the top of skyscraper pretty much for a keycard and Batman flew in before I could go splat." He sounded pissed and I honestly couldn't say I blamed him. I thought of the keycard hiding in my backpack upstairs. What did it go to and why was it worth someones life?

"If you have a score to settle why tell his woman?" I met his gaze head on.

"To know that if anything happens I still wish the best for you." He walked away and I followed handing the alcohol to Bruce and settling in the recliner.

"The first thing I would like to say," Alfred started gently probing his nose that honestly looked like it never got punched at all. "Is that I knew about Rachels pregnancy and devised the lie that she was interning overseas for that year. I helped her to keep it a secret."

I sat there mouth slightly open and stared at him just like Bruce was. This was going to be an interesting chat indeed.

"Tell me everything. Now." Bruce demanded