A/N: This starts from Ace's POV, I hope y'all like it :)

~I said, love, you're all the hurt I need,

There's just something about you,

It feeds the addict in me,

I promised you that I'd hurt you...~

~In This Moment~

Joker trusted Ace to do his job. That was something that Ace prided himself on. He has survived working for The Joker the longest. He owed that to two things. One, He did what he was told without asking a lot of unnecessary questions. Two, picking up the phone when Joker called. It was really that simple.

He had been working with the man for an entire decade. Ten very long years. Truth be told, Joker had been locked away almost seven of those ten, but Ace had kept certain business running while he had been gone. He kept things safe and waiting for Joker's return, because, he always returned.

The only time in those ten years that Ace had wondered about Joker's sanity was when he had first brought home a kid. Ace hated to admit it but he thought Joker had actually lost it at that point. Everyone knew that the Joker was a bit… odd. But bringing a kid into this mess? Nuts.

Ace had prayed to whatever god would listen, that once Joker offed the kid, Ace wouldn't have to deal with the body. He knew he wouldn't have been able to handle it.

It never happened, Ace watched as Joker started training this child, this little girl. If he had to pinpoint the time that it had all changed, he would have to say, maybe when the girl had shot some crazy lady that had pulled a gun on the Joker, in his own place. After that strange night, Joker seemed to look at the girl differently.

The weird thing was the kid took to the training easily. She was a natural. She wasn't afraid of much, and was eager to hurt anyone. Joker enjoyed teaching the kid, that was easy enough to see. Ace laughed thinking about the Joker, normally catching subtle changes in people and situations, but being completely oblivious to the doe eyed looks the kid gave him.

Ace had noticed. The girl was Jokers shadow, she started to walk like him and even picked up on his mannerisms. It creeped out the lackeys. A miniature version of the boss always there to try to boss them around. The grown men too scared to tell the tiny terror no.

When the Boss got locked up, the poor kid lost it. She looked so helpless with Joker gone. Ace assumed that the Boss would want him to keep an eye on her. Help her when she needed it. Ace had kept her as safe as she would let him.

When she was almost grown she had finally asked for help. Ace helped her get a copy of her birth certificate, shocked when he learned her real age. She was just so tiny. The last help she had asked for was a few fake IDs she could use. He had made her promise not to cause too much trouble with them.

He watched her finish the schooling she wanted. Joker had taught her well enough how to get by on her own. When she had called Ace for lunch at the warehouse, he had been shocked to see the Boss there with her.

Joker had looked too thin, like he had been ill. But Ace knew better than to underestimate a man like Joker. There had been a few times Ace thought Joker might kill the girl then. She seemed to push him like no one else. Still looking at him with the doe eyes.

It hadn't been a big surprise when, months later, Joker had mentioned he had married the brat. Ace was happy for her, she had seemed to love the Boss for as long as she had known them all. But they had seemed happy, the carefree lifestyle fit them well. He chuckled as he thought about how much the Joker spoiled his wife.

The girl barely had to complain and Joker did whatever his slightly warped mind thought would fix it. It was hilarious to think of Joker in the domestic setting. Big house, wife, two dogs, all they needed now was a couple of kids and the picture would be complete.

The thought sobered Ace's mood up. Those two did not need any kids. He tried to picture Joker changing a diaper and laughed. No, they would be fine how they are now.

Ace still wondered what was going on with them. They seemed off. Ace knew something had changed, he just didn't know what, but he did know better than to ask. If the Boss wanted him to know what the issue was, he would tell him.

Joker had always been a bit erratic, working on several projects at once. When he had asked Ace to pick a few guys and start an open recruitment for a new wave of trouble, he was quick to get to work.

Ace had grabbed Red and a guy everyone called Bub. They had started moving through the Narrows, talking to homeless guys, drunks begging for cash for the bar. It was easy enough. Some of them he handed a bit of cash and the address Joker had given him.

They told one or two people and told them to spread the word. Plenty of opportunity to earn money and there was free room and board. Joker had been vague about what the plan was, but he had told him to get as many men there as he could. No experience necessary.

Ace had always admired the boss's high reaching ideas. The kicker was that they usually worked. Some better than others, and not always as planned but it's never dull.

Joker was excited, he had gotten the call from Ace, there was a small crowd waiting for him at the elementary school. This was just the start of this masterpiece. He drove through the Narrows, feeling the crisp January air making him feel alive. He pulled up into the parking lot of the school. He made his way into the school, the door opening easily.

The walls were filthy, Joker walked through avoiding the debris across the floors. He made his way to the large cafeteria, and smiled as the crowd of guys quieted.

"Welcome everyone. I am so happy to see you all." He stepped onto a counter top to make sure they could all see him. "You are here because the city has given upon you. They have cast you all into the gutters like the trash they think you are."

Joker could hear the murmurs and grumbles through the crowd. Perfect.

"But, not me. I have picked you up, and together we will bring the yuppie elite to their collective knees, with my help, you can all get revenge on the people who have kept you all down."

Joker smiled, "It won't be easy, but I guarantee it will be worth every bit of blood and sweat you put into it. First we get you all cleaned up and once we have our clean and pretty citizen disguises, the real fun begins."

Joker looked around, they all seemed to be on board so far. These were the first batch, the test batch. He hopped down and moved to Ace, talking as he continued to watch the crowd.

"You boys did a good job."

"Thanks Boss."

"Start taking them over to the funhouse in groups of 4 or 5. Get them showered, shaved, and dressed. They need to start training and be let out into Gotham soon."

"Got it." Ace said.

Joker watched the men start to move these new people. They seemed to all be men. Joker frowned. That wasn't necessarily a problem, but he was an equal opportunity employer. He could use a few ladies. He turned to leave while the guys took care of this, he had some real estate to acquire.

He had paperwork to finish, securing a few rent houses and apartments. He figured he would pack the all in. He was back in his car and on his way to his own place. Oh he had so much to do. He parked his car and hurried to the elevator. Once in his apartment, he moved to his office. It had become a bit cluttered, but he had cleaned his desk. He grabbed his laptop and got to work. This was the more boring part, but essential in getting this whole thing started.

He has already purchased a long list of legal aliases for the men. He needed them to get cleaned up and labeled for their new name and apartments. He got the file sent to his phone and would send it to Ace to get the fake IDs started.

He closed the laptop and leaned back onto the couch. He rubbed his face, smearing his makeup over his face and hands. He rubbed his hands clean on his pants, wondering where his wife was now. Maybe he could go pick her up and bring her back to his penthouse. The thought excited him more than he cared to admit.

The last two weeks, while recovering, she wouldn't let him touch her. She would wear her tiny sleep short to bed, rubbing against him all night. Each time he tried to act on it, she shut him down. She claimed she didn't want to hurt him, but he was certain it was her own brand of torture.

He texted her before he could get second thoughts. He just sent the address to her. She texted back almost instantly.

~20 minutes~

The text sent an excited thrill through him. He moved from the couch to wash up, getting the smeared make up from his face. He got out and dressed in a pair of pajama pants and a T-shirt. His wet hair dripped down his back.

He moved back to the living room and looked at his phone.

~picking up food~

His stomach growled as soon as he read the message. He set the phone back down and leaned back onto the couch. It didn't take long before his phone chimed again.

~I'm here~

He moved to the elevator grabbing the keys on the way. The ride down seemed to take forever but when the golden doors opened she was standing there smiling. She pushed her way in, carrying a large bag. Joker put the key in for his floor and then took the bag of food from Peach.

She smiled and lifted up on her tiptoes to kiss him. The ride seemed quicker up to the apartment. The doors opened and they walked into his living room. He followed her into the kitchen, putting the large bag of food on the counter. He watched as she pulled plates from the cabinets and made them both a plate.

They ate in relative silence, Joker letting her pick food from his plate when she had finished hers. Joker watched her eat and talk about her day. He watched her go through the thought process that led her to want to quit managing the club.

He interrupted her. "We need to talk."

She looked up from her plate. She stood, grabbing his plate and moved to put them in the sink. She walked back into the living room. She sits back down. "About?"

"What your new job will be."

She smiled. "Lay it on me, Boss."

He laughed, the words sounding ridiculous coming from her mouth.

"Right now, I'm taking the more, uh, unsavory people of the Narrows and cleaning them up.

"That seems," she paused looking for the right word, "magnanimous of you."

He frowned. "It's not. It's for the cause. I need them somewhat presentable. I am going to plant them all over Gotham, like sleeper cells. Getting interwoven into the fabric of society, waiting for their time to shine."

She had a strange look on her face. "What would my job be?" her voice sounded flat.

"I'm not sure….yet. But I know it will come to me." He said. "Until I figure it out you will just stick with me."

He hated how her eyes were sparkling now. When she leaned in and kissed him, Joker knew this was a horrible idea.