Chapter 44: Hint
Joker woke up, his vision blurry. At first he didn't know where he was or what had happened. But then everything came rushing back to him all at once. Oh, it gave him a fucking headache...
He looked around slowly. And could see a black shape dance across his vision. Then another figure appeared, this one was white. And then another, grey.
"He's awake."
"Is he cuffed!?"
"Yes. I cuffed him to the bed railing after they settled him in. No need to worry, Jim."
Jim? Joker thought to himself. Jim, Jim, Jim... Hm. Oh, yeah! Jimbo! The Po-lice Commissioner, Jim Gordon.
Batman and the GCPD must have stayed to wait for him to wake up. No doubt planning on interrogating him.
Joker mentally shrugged. 'Oh well'.
Suddenly he felt something cold and wet splash his face.
"Wake up, clown!"
It was ice water.
He opened his bright-green eyes after wiping the corners, smudging the black makeup and glared at the brooding men standing in front of him.
"Well, what a nice surprise. Exactly what I want to wake up to in the morning."
"It's not morning. It's midnight." Batman stated.
"Even better..." Joker grumbled, sitting up lazily. "So... What's first? Interrogation, therapy, sleep? I prefer the last one, but hey! You do what you want. Who am I to question an illegal vigilante bat-freak like you? Hm?"
Batman scowled then grabbed Joker's neck, choking him.
"Eck! Ok. Ok! Sleep it isn't. I get it. Let go."
Batman did. But kept his hands up ready to strike at any given moment.
"What does he have against sleep?" Joker questioned the nearby Police Commissioner, rubbing his now sore neck.
"Enough with the jokes, Joker."
"Enough with the jokes!? Have you met me!?"
"Unfortunately, yes."
He smirked, turning back to the Dark Knight. "Humph! You'll never find her, ya know..."
Batman growled, socking Joker in the face. "Tell me where she is!"
Joker's tongue glided across his busted lip, tasting the metallic tang as he laughed. "HA! You think hitting me's gonna help! You'll never find her! I'll never tell you where she is!" He suddenly seethed with rage, glaring at the Dark Knight as he clenched his fists and strained against his cuffs. "NEVER! YOU HEAR ME! YOU AREN'T GOING TO TAKE HER FROM ME! NOT NOW, NOW EVER! I WON'T LET YOU!"
Suddenly, Jack Ryder walked in.
"They said he was awake. Did he tell you where Harleen is yet?"
Joker looked from Jack to Batman then back to Jack again.
"And what the hell are you still doing here, news boy?"
Jack growled. "For you're information, clown. I happen to care for Harleen and her well being! Unlike you, you ugly freak!"
Batman held up his hand. "Enough, Jack. Don't let your feelings for Harleen get in the way."
Joker interrupted, eyes wide. "F-Feelings? Wait. You mean..."
"I love her." Jack admitted.
Joker's eyes widened and he growled. "No you don't. You don't love her."
"How the hell would you know!? You don't know me or her!"
"I beg to differ." Joker smirked, shifting in his hospital bed. "Would you like to know about Harleen's time with me? How I flirted with her, charmed her-"
Jack shook his head as Batman just stared. Already convinced that whatever was coming out of Joker's mouth were lies.
"She would never love a little shit like you!" Jack screamed.
Joker glared, frowning, but resumed his mocking smile. "That's not what it sounded like to me when I pounded into her and she writhed under me, screaming my name."
Jack immediately lunged for Joker but Batman shoved him back, blocking him.
The Dark Knight stared at the Clown Prince of Crime. Looking him in the eyes. Trying to see if he was truly lying or not. He had said it with such emotion that it had almost seemed... true.
"You're lying. She'd never-"
"Ha! That's what I thought until it happened... Boy was it glorious! You should of seen it! How I kissed her. How she fought me. And Oh, God did she fight me! She even tried to stab me once! Ha! But anyway... She ultimately gave in. And she kissed me back with just as much passion. And that's when I guided her to the bed..."
Jack stared at Joker in horror. "No."
"And I undressed her..."
He grabbed his head. "Stop it!"
"And she undressed me..."
"I said: Stop!"
"Ha! She was so beautiful. God! Her body was perfect. Can you imagine it!? No. How could you? Your mind couldn't even comprehend what I saw. What only I got to see..."
"S-She wouldn't..."
"Oh, man... she was fit and toned... her breasts were round and-"
"Quit it, Joker. Can't you see you're torturing him!?"
He laughed, ignoring Batman's plea to stop as he peered over at Jack with mocking eyes. "You should have felt how hot and wet she was for me, her body was begging for it."
Jack snarled and lunged again. "YOU DISGUSTING LIAR!"
Batman was unable to block him this time and Jack was on Joker instantly, choking the life out of him.
"YOU DAMN DISGUSTING, VILE-"
Instead of fighting back, Joker just cackled evilly, mocking Ryder as he barely choked his next words out. "And...she...loved...every bit of...it..."
"NO!"
Batman was finally able to throw Jack off of Joker. And he fell to the ground, his body heaved in anger as he glared at the coughing clown. "I would kill you, but then the title of the "most mother-fucking hideous pile of shit alive" would pass on to someone else."
"Aw. Is news-y guy jealous? Well maybe if you stopped being a cock-less fuck for one fucking day, somebody might want to marry you. And you could move on! HA! The only sex you get is from your mom! If you even get any at all!"
"WHY YOU LITTLE-"
"ENOUGH!"
Batman slammed Joker's head down and took Ryder by the arm and threw him outside the room. Closing and locking the door behind him.
Finally, he turned back to Joker.
"He's right. You are a disgusting liar."
"This time, Batsy. I didn't lie. And that's what makes it so freaking funny! HA! Did you see his face!?"
"You really expect me to believe that someone would actually have sex with you? Her of all people!"
"Aw, are you jealous, too?"
"Just cut it out and tell me where she is!"
"Never."
"Tell me! Joker! Now!" He punched Joker again causing his nose to bleed.
"As hard boiled as ever, Batsy."
Batman growled and punched him again. "Tell me where Harleen Quinzell is!"
"I already told you! She's dead!"
"Then where's the body!?"
"Don' have one. Ya see.. Harleen is the spirit of a constrained doctor. And I killed her. She gone. No body. Just Harley."
"What are you talking about?"
"I broke her mind, Bats. And now she's crazy. Just. Like. Me."
Batman punched him in the face again before taking out a Bat-o-rang and slicing it across his arm. "Where the hell is she!? Tell me!"
"Heh! My hideout, as you've probably guessed. But that's all you're gettin' from me."
Batman angrily lodged the Bat-o-rang in Joker's shoulder. Telling the doctors on the way out that they'd need to stitch him up.
He was going to find her. He had too.
"Robin?" Batman spoke into a gadget programmed into his cowl. "Are you there?"
"I read you."
"We need to check Joker's past hideouts. Get any information you can on Dr. Harleen Quinzell's kidnapping in the next 10 to 15 minutes. Joker only said that she's in his current hideout. We need to find her. And quick. Meet me at her apartment."
"K."
He sighed to himself as he got into the Batmobile.
That poor woman...
