Bad Romance
A/N: Not so sure about this one but you guys can let me know what you thought! I wish I could reply but I need to catch a few hours of sleep for tomorrow my dears, I'll do it for the next chappie so you can look forward to that -_- anyway! Enjoy!
"You cheated!" Happy pointed out as Grumpy shook his head in denial and took the pile of money in the center of the coffee table. They had been playing poker for a while and so far he had won most of the matches. Blade merely eyed the group of men from his position on one of the kitchen stools with disinterested eyes. His boss had strangely decided to remain in the apartment for the day and had yet to come out of the bedroom.
"One more round, Hap?" Grumpy joked, shuffling the deck with a sheepish grin on his face. The other goon huffed before sitting down once more and throwing some money on the table. Grumpy merely laughed and slipped an ace under his sleeve when the other goon wasn't looking. He would have thought that after losing so many games Happy would have figured out where he was keeping the extra card.
"Someone's at the door," Blade commented when he heard footsteps outside and the jingling of keys. The goons in the room all tensed and turned to look at the entrance with nervous faces. After a few moments the doorknob turned and Monica stepped through the doorway with a tired look on her face.
Chuckles sighed and turned to look at the hand that he had been given with an apathetic look on his face. Judging by the cards that he was seeing he knew that winning this particular game wasn't going to be easy.
"Glad to see that you keep yourselves entertained," Monica commented, closing the door behind her. She tossed her keys aside and dropped her bag near the entrance as she made her way over to the kitchen. Blade merely eyed her curiously as she poured herself a glass of wine and drank it slowly while looking at the game of poker that was in session.
Laughing, she saw Grumpy wink at her and twirl his wrist in a manner that showed the cards that he had stored away. She picked up her unfinished glass of wine and made her way over to her room in order to retrieve what she had come for.
"I suggest you fold," she commented as she passed by Happy who merely rolled his eyes at her and looked at the cards in his hand with a straight face. Monica merely shook her head at him and stepped into her room after one last glance at the men in her living room.
The room was pitch black, she could tell someone had drawn the curtains over the windows and turned off all of the lights. She sighed when she recognized the lone figure sprawled across her bed. Moments passed before she realized that the clown prince of crime was completely unaware of her presence. She made her way over to her wardrobe as quietly as she possibly could and started to grab the items that she had come for.
"Ya' know…" the clown's sleepy voice commented, "while beauty sleep might not work for you, it does wonders for me," he commented slurring some of his words. Monica turned to look at him with a look of amusement on her face as she continued to pack her clothes in the spare leather bag she had brought with her.
"Really? I wouldn't have guessed," she shot back as she shoved some of her black pants into the bag and zipped it up before realizing that she had forgotten a black dress that she kept stored away in a box on the top shelf. She reached up for it wishing to be out of the clown's way before realizing that she was too short to successfully grab it and prevent the other boxes from falling on her.
Turning, her mind pointed out that she would probably need someone to grab it for her. Her face collided with the clown's vested chest as he reached over her and grabbed the box she had wanted. She took it from him with care and wondered why he had helped her in the first place.
Dust had accumulated on the surface of the black box over the years, it made her pause and realize that she had been running from her past for far too long. Her hand brushed over the surface as she stepped around the clown awkwardly and walked over to her bed.
The Joker merely watched her from the doorway of the wardrobe with narrowed eyes. She had changed since he had last seen her. The black clothing that she wore suited her, it made her pale skin stand out even more, she almost looked like a corpse. The various scars that he could see were something that made his hand twitch, he hadn't made them.
Before he knew it she had grabbed the bag beside him and made her way over to the door.
"Leaving so soon?" he questioned, running his tongue over the scars on the inside of his cheek. Monica watched as he did it and clenched her teeth, it was one of the various habits that the clown had that made her want to choke him.
"I'm not coming back," she replied as she watched him smile at her. She knew that her leaving would make the madman in front of happy. The clown merely grinned at her; of course she was going to come back. He wasn't done with her yet.
Monica turned without saying anything else and walked across the living room trying to avoid the looks that she was getting from the goons around her. The suitcase in her hand was painfully obvious and it stated that she wouldn't be coming back. She had already moved her dogs over to the clubhouse, all that was left were the clothes in her beg.
"You're leaving?" Grumpy questioned, once he saw her move towards the door. Monica sighed and stopped before she turned to look at him. Out of all of the people she had been avoiding he was the one that she didn't want to talk to at the moment. She had grown fond of him and saying goodbye was going to be something that would prove to be painful.
"I have to," she replied as Grumpy's shoulders dropped slightly. She could see the disappointment in his eyes. That was why she hadn't wanted to see him before she left, she knew this would happen.
"One last game, love?" Chuckles questioned, waving the cards in his hand at her. Monica sighed and considered her options before she saw the Joker staring at her with an unreadable expression on his face from the doorway. She could see the doubt in his eyes, he was testing her.
"She won't play, boys," the clown laughed, tilting his head at her. Monica felt a shiver run up her back when she heard the bones in his neck crack. At the same time the stare that he was giving her was starting to unnerve her.
"One game," she answered. Grumpy's face lit up as she walked over and sat down beside him. Chuckles shuffled the deck across from them quickly while Happy merely went through his pockets in search of more money.
"I'm broke," he commented before the game even started. Chuckles laughed at his predicament as he set the cards down and went through his pockets as well. The smile on his face disappeared the moment he realized that he too was out of money.
"What now?" Grumpy questioned, they couldn't play without money to bet with.
"Strip poker?" Happy suggested jokingly.
"Done," Chuckles replied almost immediately.
Grumpy shot a glare over at him the moment he realized why he wanted to play strip poker. He turned to look at Monica and started to tell her that she didn't have to play. The words never left his mouth; she was staring straight ahead at the clown who refused to break his gaze from her own as well.
"Ya' don't have to play, beautiful," the Joker replied, his smile stretching even more as she stared back defiantly at him. She hated it when he poked and prodded at her, testing her constantly to see if she would back out of a situation.
"Deal the cards, Hap," she ordered, staying seated as Grumpy began to protest.
"Seriously you don't have-"
"I said, 'deal'," she repeated, glaring at Happy who had hesitated at first. Shock ran through her when the clown prince of crime walked over chuckling to himself and sat down beside Happy. The goon froze when he felt his boss sit down beside him; if he messed anything up he would have a blade running through him before he could blink.
Grumpy stared at the pair nervously; it was bad enough that Monica was playing. With the Joker in the mix something was bound to go wrong.
After five minutes Monica cursed and dropped her cards face down onto the table. The clown grinned back at her and placed his calmly over her own. He had a full house; it beat everything else that had been set down. The biker realized that playing had probably been a bad idea; she wasn't going to back out now though.
She rose and took off her jacket before throwing it aside with an irritated sigh. Grumpy followed suit and tossed his jacket over the armrest of the couch.
"Shit," Happy whispered realizing that he had no jacket on. He resorted to taking off his shirt followed by Chuckles who shivered when he realized how cold the room really was. The goons that had been watching the group play shook their heads at the men. Going up against the Joker in a game of poker was the most illogical thing they could have done.
"You've got to be kidding me!" Monica exclaimed after the second game was over, she had just lost again. The clown grinned back at her without saying a word. Grumpy cursed underneath his breath and removed his shirt after a moment of hesitation. Monica glanced down and realized that she still had her boots on. With a triumphant smile she reached down and slipped them off before dangling them in front of the clown's face.
Happy and Chuckles glanced at each other before removing their belts and sitting back down. Things weren't looking too good for any of them. The Joker merely stared at them with calculative eyes; he still had his clothing intact.
Monica glanced around and found herself surrounded by the clown's topless goons. She wasn't surprised when she saw their physique. They had to keep in shape if they were to work for the clown, running around in alleys at night and busting into places had to help as well. The one that got the most reaction from her was Grumpy, she could see every muscle flex whenever her moved or shifted.
"This is bad," Chuckles commented after they had lost for the third time that night. He stared at Monica as she threw her cards on the table with a defeated look on her face.
"You can leave, doll, no one is keeping you here," the clown commented, clicking his tongue with the knowledge that it annoyed her whenever he did it.
Monica stood up with a look of outrage on her face before reaching down and pulling her shirt over her head. She threw it down at his feet with an irritated sigh and sat back down next to Grumpy, she tried to calm her nerves by breathing in slowly. Happy elbowed Chuckles when he caught the goon staring at Monica before throwing him a warning look. She was off bounds; they all knew that by now.
The biker found herself seething as she took the two cards that she had been dealt and sunk back into the couch. An innocent game of poker had turned into a blood feud between her and the clown that had left her wearing nothing but her black bra and pants.
Chuckles and Happy were both reduced to nothing but black boxers as the next game started.
"Jesus Christ, finally!" Monica exclaimed in relief as she placed her cards on the table, she had four aces and a king. The clown had two pairs and the rest had nothing but one pair.
"Leave," the Joker ordered glancing at his goons. They all got up without a word as the clown shed his purple coat with ease. He sat back down and shuffled the deck carefully as Monica watched his every move. She could feel the couch beside her shift as Grumpy got up to retrieve his clothes. She didn't pay attention to the goons as they all left the apartment. She had a feeling that this had been what the clown wanted all along, she didn't care, she would end up winning not him.
"Don't let it go to your pretty little head, beautiful," the clown warned her as she grabbed her cards and looked at them carefully. She had a queen and a jack, nothing too glorious to begin with. Her eyes trailed up to the Joker's face, he remained expressionless as he looked at his cards.
After a few seconds she stared down at the cards on the table and then at her own once more.
"You lose," she stated as she dropped her hand and grinned proudly, she had two pairs. The Joker undid his vest calmly and placed it beside him carefully. Of course he had lost; he had allowed her to win. This was his game; if he had wanted to he would have won the past two games.
Monica found herself wondering why she had indulged the clown with one last game of poker before she left. She owed nothing to him; she could have left if she wanted to. Perhaps it was the rush that came with beating him at his own game. Perhaps it was for her own amusement, she didn't know the answer anymore.
By the time they had finished the fifth game Monica found herself grinning proudly as the clown pulled his gloves off with his teeth. He hadn't planned on letting her win that hand; with less and less clothes it was getting harder and harder to conceal the cards that he had hidden in his coat. He wasn't going to allow her to win one more hand, her winning streak ended now.
"Where's Harley?" Monica asked as she watched him shuffle the deck. The clown glanced up at her briefly before returning his attention to the deck.
"She's taking a vacation in the, uh, hospital," the clown replied with a grin that would have made a madman proud. Monica tensed when she got his meaning and wondered what Harley had done wrong to earn herself a trip to the hospital again. "Where's Brucey-boy?" the clown asked casually as Monica turned her piercing gaze onto him.
"Why?" she asked defensively, her body tense as he continued to shuffle the deck.
"I would keep an eye on him, we wouldn't want him to end up like-ah," he paused briefly, he could feel a smile tugging at the edges of his lips, "the cop." Monica snapped when she heard him and pounced on him in the blink of an eye. How would he know of her brother? She hadn't mentioned anything to him or any of his goons, the only other way he could have found out was if he had something to do with Dante's death.
The cards in the clown's hand cascaded around them as she pinned him down onto the couch with a hand wrapped around his neck. She straddled his waist and started to apply pressure. The clown beneath her started to laugh at her attempt at inflicting pain onto him; she could feel his chest rumble with every cackle that left his scarred lips.
"Did you have anything to do with that?" she questioned with a snarl as he continued to laugh at her. This had never been a part of his plan but he wasn't going to complain either. The look that she was directing at him only amused him instead of inspiring fear.
"If I wanted him dead," the clown choked, reaching for her waist before she realized what he was doing, "I would have killed him myself." Before she could even register what had happened she felt his hands grip her waist and raise her off of him. They crashed down onto the wooden floor below in a matter of seconds. Their roles had been flipped, she now had the clown on top of her, his mere weight managed to keep her pinned to the ground.
Monica let out a pitiful groan of pain when she felt her leg bang up against the coffee table next to them. The Joker grinned when he heard her and rose her arms above her head with one of his own.
"Don't go pointing fingers until you know who killed who, beautiful," he whispered to her shaking his finger in front of her face. Monica growled at him from her defenseless position beneath him before nipping at his hand like a wild animal. He pulled away before she had a chance to actually bite him with a satisfied look on his face.
She was nothing like Harley. The ex-psychologist would have been cowering in fear beneath him while uttering excuses and pleas.
"Consider this my apology then," Monica barked before head butting him. The clown groaned as his vision became unfocused with the force of the hit. He released her hands for a brief moment, enough for her to use them against him, and shook his head trying to clear his mind and senses. Monica sat up, using the temporary distraction to her advantage, and managed to push the clown back onto his back for a few moments.
"Did I mention the thing about the fight in you already?" he groaned as she hovered above him with a look of disgust directed at him. His eyes remained closed, there wouldn't be much difference if he opened them, his vision had gone black for a few moments. He was aware of the pain, however, and he would have been lying if he said it didn't make him feel alive. It had been a while since he had run into the Bat and he had started to miss their usual scraps, for now this was all he had.
"You did," she replied as she reached for her shirt which rested behind his head. She pulled it harshly and enjoyed the sound that his skull made when it made contact with the floor beneath him. The thought of having him powerless beneath her appealed to her greatly. Her mind screeched to a halt when it processed the last thought over and over again. Wrong, it sounded so wrong now that she thought of it. Before she could do or think of anything else she rose quickly and slipped her shirt on with haste.
She could see the clown sit up out of the corner of her eye, he would be fine in a couple of seconds, she needed to get out of there. Her boots were slipped on rapidly and her hand reached over for the bag that she had come to retrieve.
The Joker merely laid back down when the pounding in his head got worse; he didn't have anything to do anyways. People were harder to find so going out and slaughtering a few was out of the question, it would probably take more energy than what he wanted to waste.
He smirked to himself when her phone went off just as she reached for the doorknob. Monica cursed and picked it up quickly realizing that the lyrics fit a bit too much to her current predicament.
"I want your horror,
I want your design,
'Cause you're a criminal,
As long as you're mine,
I want your love…"
The melody cut off as soon as she answered the call and slammed the door shut behind her. Sighing, she made her way down the hall quickly, wishing to be as far away from the clown as she possibly could.
"Hello?" she asked as she waited for the dialer to answer. She was relieved to hear Beelzebub's voice on the other line. The sooner she got back to her clubhouse the better; at least she could put her ordeal with the Joker behind her.
Before she could even reply she felt someone hit the back of her head with something hard. She stumbled forward slightly before going down on her knees and reaching back to where she had felt the blow. Her bloodied hand smeared the wall beside her as she tried to keep herself up, she could hardly register her surroundings.
A pair of unfamiliar boots appeared in front of her followed by several voices, all in German. Her face paled when she recalled the men that had abused her months before, they had also spoken German. She fell forward with a dull thud as one of the men reached over and picked her up.
Why were they doing this to her?
Had they been hired by someone to kill her?
Her half lidded eyes registered the same 'SS' tattoo on the man's neck as the ones that had been on the men that raped her. He threw her over his shoulder while another picked up her bag and her shattered phone. They ignored the blood smear that she had left on the wall as they made their way quickly down the hall before anyone noticed that they had taken her.
Monica tried to keep conscious, she was aware that things were about to go to hell once more. Her body ended up giving in but not before she uttered two words laced with horror and desperation.
"Not again."
And so the mob steps into the picture, I kinda miss them, ya know? Italians, Russians, Germans, you gotta have variety! Anyway, thank you to all of those who have reviewed so far, you guys are the only thing that keeps me going! So, need I say more? Review! :D