As Selina walked up the stairs to her apartment, she immediately got the feeling that something was wrong. She stopped at the door, seeing that it was unlocked and open just a crack. Whoever was inside, they wanted her to know that they were there. She pushed the door open the rest of the way and walked in, closing the door behind her. She went about it naturally, acting as if nothing was amiss. She took off her coat and hung it up then walked into the kitchen, pouring two glasses of champagne as she walked into the living room, seeing the Joker standing by her window.
"Should I even ask how you found out where I live?" she asked, walking over to him and holding out of of the glasses. He glanced at her and took the offered drink without saying a word. She followed his gaze out the window. "Pretty soon there'll be nothing out there to look at." She looked at him, studying his face. Something had happened, it was clear. "Did you and Lover Boy have a falling out?"
She could have sworn she saw him flinch, but otherwise there was no reaction. He downed the drink then looked at her. "Should I even ask how you found out about me and Lover Boy?" he asked.
Selina smiled. "What are you doing here?" she asked as she turned and walked over to the couch and sat down, crossing her legs. "If you're here to pout and whine about the breakup, I don't want to hear it. If there's anything I want to hear about you and Bruce Wayne..." She smirked, lifting the glass to her lips. "I'd prefer the juicy details." She took a sip.
"If I were to talk about Bruce Wayne," the Joker said, turning away from the window, studying the empty glass in his hand. "I'd be describing how I'd butcher him the next time I see him."
Selina raised her eyebrows just slightly. "When you go through a breakup..." She trailed off with a shake of her head. "Are you here to avoid him then? You picked a perfect spot, if so. If not...Are you here about Bane?"
"I can assure him that he won't have any trouble with Batman after I'm done with him."
"It may already be too late for that."
"What do you mean?"
Selina told herself to be careful. The Joker was unstable, but she could damn well take care of herself. "I told one of Bane's men that he can get to you through Bruce Wayne," she said. "As far as I know, they may already have him."
There was another change in the Joker just then. A flicker of what looked like worry, but it was gone quickly. "Take me to Bane," he said.
"And why would I do that?" Selina asked. He had decided to treat her poorly before, it was only fair she treat him the same way now. "After all, there's nothing in it for me. And, no, giving me the juicy details about fucking Bruce Wayne won't change my mind." She took another drink of her champagne. "Do you have anything to offer? And don't say my life. That's too cliche and not dramatic enough for you."
"You think you know me," the Joker said, setting the glass carefully down on one of the empty bookshelves. "There's nothing I can offer you. But, you wouldn't have gotten anything if I had agreed to see Bane before."
Selina looked down into her glass then back at him. "Fine," she said then stood up. "I had nothing planned for tonight anyway."
When Selina brought him to City Hall, Jack became interested in meeting Bane. But, instead, he was taken to an office where a woman was sitting. She thanked Selina, who then turned and left. Jack watched her go then looked back at the woman behind the desk. He recognized her face because he had seen her on sailboards and posters around the city. And on the news. During the time he and Bruce had been away, she had run a successful campaign and had become the new mayor.
"I thought this city was corrupted under the old mayor," Jack said. "You're working for Bane."
"Talia," she introduced herself, getting to her feet. "I've heard you want to talk to Bane." She walked around the desk, perching herself on the edge of it as she studied him for a moment. "Your services are no longer needed."
"Yeah, I heard you managed to catch the Bat," Jack said. That news still hadn't fully settled with him. Because part of him didn't care any more. But that other part...the part that cared...seemed a hell of a lot stronger than anything. "I didn't come here to say I told you so, if that's what you were wondering." He should have expected Bruce to go gallivanting around the city as Batman and was annoyed that the present he had left would go unnoticed. Because now Jack would have to rescue Batman and if they ended up going back to the penthouse afterwards...
He pushed that out of his mind. There was no way in hell he was going to rescue Batman. Bruce could take care of himself and was probably already free by now.
"It wasn't," Talia said. She gave a faint smile. "But it would suit you. After all, I've heard quite a bit about you. Especially one very recent detail."
"Oh?" Jack asked, raising his eyebrows with a slight tilt of his head. "I don't think I like you knowing so much about me. I mean, we haven't even been properly introduced. If you wanted to get to know me, you should have asked."
"You would have needed to buy me dinner first," Talia said. She crossed her arms. "Why don't we skip all of that and get to the reason why you're here?"
"I have...pent up aggression," Jack said. Killing Alfred had only taunted the hunger he felt for causing chaos. "I'm available if you or Bane need a distraction."
"I appreciate the offer," Talia said. "But we have what we need." She stepped away from the desk. "Come with me." She walked past him and out of the office.
Jack turned and followed after her, getting a thrill out of the guards that were stationed around that would flinch whenever he made eye contact with them. But, that was probably just the sight of his scars. They were more gruesome to look at when he was without makeup. He put his attention back forward as she led the way downstairs to a passage that led to the sewers. It was a new passage. The wall had been busted out. They headed down the stairs until they came to an open area. People were gathered in a circle against the walls and another man was standing in the center, giving what looked like a speech. And the figure hanging from the ceiling above...
Bruce.
Bruce was hanging by his arms from the ceiling with chains. He was shirtless and the famous bat symbol was carved into his chest. Jack found himself unable to move at the sight of it. Talia stopped a few steps in front of him and turned back.
"See anything you like?" she asked. He could even hear the smile on her face. "If you'd like to know, you were a help after all. If Selina Kyle hadn't followed you, we never would have known that you were fucking Bruce Wayne. And then you killed the butler, giving us the best opportunity to get in and wait for Bruce to show up. All alone."
"Is he alive?" Jack asked, so many feelings going through him. He couldn't handle it all. He was glad to see Bruce strung up like that, but he also hated himself for causing this to happen. He wouldn't regret killing Alfred, though. And if Bruce made it out of this alive, he would probably never forgive Jack for it. No matter what happened here, he knew that things between him and Bruce were over.
"For now," Talia replied, looking up at Bruce. "We've got special plans for him." She looked toward Bane then back at Jack. "In the meantime, we do what we want with him. Would you like to watch? Or take part?"
He would rather do neither. He should have grabbed Bruce and left Gotham when they had the chance. Before things went to hell. "I think I'll just...watch," he said, tearing his eyes away from Bruce. He looked at Talia. "You told him I helped get him here, didn't you?"
Talia gestured to Bane, who went over to the wall and pressed a button, lowering Bruce. "The answer to that is obvious, don't you think?" she asked. She looked back at him. "We'll take him to the other room where you'll get front row seat. When he wakes up...you'll be the first person he sees."
"Won't be the first time that's happened," Jack said, watching as a few men grabbed Bruce and dragged him into another room. Talia walked past Jack and headed back up to City Hall. Jack followed after Bane.
The first thing Bruce felt when he woke up once more was pain. And not just from the wounds on his chest or anything else that was being or had been done to him. The worst pain he felt was when he opened his eyes and saw Jack seated with Bane and his men. Jack didn't look away as their eyes met. No words needed to be said between them. Bruce could see the truth in Jack's eyes.
It was over.
Bruce screamed as his hand was shoved into a fire. It wasn't left there long enough for permanent damage, but the pain was excruciating and it felt like an eternity before his hand was pulled back out. He looked at Jack to see his reaction, but Jack was no longer looking at him. Pushing past the pain, Bruce watched as Bane grabbed Jack and forced him to watch.
Strapped to the table now, Bruce screamed in pain once more as a hot poker was placed against the slowly healing cuts on his chest. Through the pain, he wasn't aware that he was being stripped naked, his legs spread wide. He passed out from the pain of something large being rammed inside him.
Jack squirmed in Bane's grasp, unable to watch Bruce being raped. He squeezed his eyes shut, memories of that laundromat coming back to him. The pain he had felt all those years ago as those men had fucked and humiliated him all while his father stood by watching. And then he thought about when his father had showed up at Princeton with plans to do to Bruce what he had done to Jack. He had stopped it from happening then, but he hated himself because, in the end, he had never prevented it from happening.
He opened his eyes as he was dragged to his feet and shoved to the center of the room. He looked up to see Bruce, unconscious on the table. Whatever had been used to fuck him was now gone. Bruce was just laying there as if dead.
Jack stumbled to the other side of the room, falling to his hands and knees as he threw up. He didn't realize he had been crying until he tasted salt from his tears. He didn't care if he was heard. Everything he had done...had gotten Bruce killed. He shouldn't have followed Bruce to Gotham. Bruce would still be alive right now and Jack would still be in therapy, getting better.
"He's awake." He heard someone say then Bane's voice: "String him back up."
Jack turned and watched as Bruce, moaning, was dragged out of the room. Jack scrambled to his feet and followed, watching as they chained Bruce up once more and hoisted him up, bloody and broken. Jack leaned heavily against the wall, not knowing how they were going to get out of this.
"You have a choice," Bane said, standing next to him. He towered over Jack. "In a few days, he's going to be taken out of Gotham to a place where he can watch the city burn." He looked at Jack. "You can go with him or stay here."
Neither one of them was good, Jack knew. "I'll go with him," he said. Staying probably promised a quicker death, but he couldn't let them take Bruce away from him again.
"All suffering will be over soon," Bane said then walked away.
Jack looked up at Bruce.
