Disclaimer: I do not own or take credit for anything other than my OC's.
Author's Note: Still trying to churn these chapters out with my phone. This virus nonsense is getting on my last nerve.
Port Adams Docks – Warehouse Meeting:
"You can't just give us two days notice and expect us to have everything ready!" Riddler was red-faced and huffing in his seat. "This is preposterous!"
Jonathan rolled his eyes and sighed dramatically, annoyed by Riddler's outburst. "Aren't you a self-proclaimed genius?" He smirked when Riddler glared at him. "Surely you can work under pressure."
"Your witty little remarks are starting to grate on me, Crane."
"Doctor Crane," Jonathan corrected haughtily, narrowing his eyes at Riddler.
"Narcissist," Riddler spat, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Pot, kettle," Jonathan chuckled, amusing himself by goading the madman.
"Enough," Jester growled, glaring at both men. "This is a chance for all of us to work together to put a stop to the Bat-Family. If any of you want to back out, that's fine, but this is happening with or without your help."
"I'm in," Copperhead grinned at Jester, her glowing snake eyes lighting up with glee. "The sooner, the better."
"That's the spirit!" Harley winked at Copperhead and grinned wickedly at her. She threw an arm around the snake hybrid and looked around the table, taking stock of the attendees.
"Why the sudden rush? We weren't supposed to do this for another week or two."
Jonathan clenched his jaw at the sound of Double-Tap's voice and fought Scarecrow off as he tried to surge forward.
"You were there, Tap," Jester said coolly, pinning the man with her gaze. "They're on Death Row and only avoided execution after the riot by a hair. We can't wait any longer."
"Good riddance. I have no sympathy for the Clown," Two-Face drawled, taking a huge puff of his cigar and rudely blowing the cloud of smoke in Catwoman's direction.
Catwoman glared daggers at him and flexed her claws before swiping at the cloud to disperse it. "Prick," she hissed.
Two-Face winked at her and smirked, both of his expressions smug.
"Careful, Harvey. You don't want me to lose my temper, do you?" Jester leveled Two-Face with a nasty glare. "If you want out, then leave. You won't get any credit for taking down the Batman, though."
"I've been doing this a long time, doll face. You don't scare me. I can take the Batman down myself without you clowns."
Jonathan couldn't fight Scarecrow off this time. The demon surged forward and seized control, growling at Two-Face. His dual voice cut through the tension in the room and caused a few attendees to shudder as he spoke. "Watch it, Dent," he warned, "or I'll burn the other half of you so badly that the first time will seem like child's play in comparison."
Ruiz, Officer Santos, Catwoman, Harley, and Copperhead snickered at this, not even bothering to hide their collective amusement. Officer Deckard shuddered violently as memories of the night before assaulted his mind.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Two-Face cocked his head to the side, staring intently at Scarecrow's orange rimmed irises.
Bane snorted a laugh. "Coming from the man who looks like burnt toast."
Copperhead burst out laughing, burying her head in her arms on the tabletop. Harley cackled wickedly beside her.
"I wonder if you bleed venom," Two-Face spat, glaring at both Bane and Copperhead as he pulled his gun.
"Don't ya think you're bein' a little dramatic, Harvey?" Harley raised an eyebrow at Two-Face. "We're just havin' some fun!"
"The jury is still out on that one," Two-Face retorted.
"Are you all clear on the plan?" Jester raked a hand through her hair in frustration. "Any questions?"
"None," Officer Santos grinned at her from his seat across the table beside his partner. "We're clear."
Jester smiled back at him, settling down just a little. She was thankful for his compliance and calm demeanor, it was nice to know not everyone she called to the meeting was a jackass with an attitude problem.
Two-Face pulled out his trusty coin and looked Jester in the eye. "Heads – I do the job. Tails – I don't, and I don't come to another one of these ridiculous gatherings."
"No threat to pair with tails, Harvey? I'm a little insulted." Jester grinned wickedly at him and watched as he scowled and tossed the coin up in the air before catching it and flipping it onto the back of his other hand. "Well?"
"Heads," Two-Face bit out, glaring at everyone around the table.
"Everyone else?" Jester ignored Two-Face and scanned the rest of the attendees, waiting patiently for their answers.
"Ten-four," Double-Tap quipped, avoiding Scarecrow's burning eyes.
"Where's my bracelet?" Riddler raised his eyebrows at Jester and leaned forward in his seat. "You promised me a bracelet, Jester."
"Jesus Christ." Jester rolled her eyes and pulled the bracelet from her pocket, tossing it carelessly across the table in his direction.
Riddler caught it in both hands and grinned as he read the beads on the bright neon green bracelet. "I'm tickled," he mused, giggling at the word she had chosen for him: 'Leprechaun'.
"Boles?" Bane's booming voice drew everyone's attention.
"Crystal," Frankie confirmed, scrubbing a hand down his face. "Ivy's little plants aren't gonna turn me into a drooling spore zombie, right?"
"Not as long as you stay down in Solitary," Catwoman assured him. "She knows not to let her spores loose down there. I'd still suggest a mask just in case."
Frankie nodded, trying not to let his nervousness show. He hid it well, but Scarecrow saw right through him. Scarecrow said nothing, letting the man's inner turmoil eat away at him for his amusement.
"I'm looking very forward to working with you ladies," Copperhead hissed, flicking her forked tongue out. "This will be fun."
"Hell yeah it will," Harley chirped, pumping her fist in the air. "Girl power, am I right?"
Catwoman chuckled and shook her head. "Yeah, Harls. Girl power."
"So much to do, so little time!" Mad Hatter looked pained and paranoid, twitching a little in his seat in the corner under his large, ridiculous top hat.
"Do we really need this guy?" Double-Tap jabbed his thumb in Mad Hatter's direction and gave Jester a withering look. "He's mentally fucked seven ways from Sunday."
"So are the rest of us, Tap," Jester sighed. "Listen, Hatter. If you don't find Alice before the breakout, she'll probably be inside the prison. Maybe she's playing hide and seek with you."
"Oh, that clever girl," Mad Hatter growled. "That wicked, clever girl!"
"Right," Scarecrow drawled, draping a protective arm over Jester's shoulders. The look Mad Hatter was fixing her with put him on edge. "Be here at 2:30 Friday morning. Don't be late."
The room cleared out and Jester felt like she could breathe again. The tension in the warehouse during the meeting was so thick it was suffocating and grated on her. Just before she reached the door, Officer Santos called out to her. He had hung back while Officer Deckard went to warm up their undercover car. "A word, Miss Jester?"
"You don't have to be so formal, you know," Jester nudged him with her elbow and leaned against the wall, smiling at Scarecrow as he passed by her to go outside and warm up the Range Rover. "What's up, Luis? You don't have cold feet, do ya?"
"No, not at all." He stood just a couple of feet away from her, keeping a respectful distance. "I just wanted to make sure you really want to do this. Don't get me wrong, I'm on board; but what you're planning at the Funhouse goes against everything you stand for."
"I know," she sighed and looked up at the ceiling. "Sometimes you gotta crack a few eggs to make an omelet, you know?"
"I can do it for you," he offered, giving her a serious look. "I'm not naive enough to think this will be easy for you. I can do it instead – or we can hand her off to the Mad Hatter. She's blonde, I'm sure it would work."
Jester chuckled dryly. "It's alright, Luis. I can do it. It has to be me – I want him to watch me do it. I want him to know how badly he fucked up treating my cousin that way. I want him to know he has no power anymore, Batman or not."
"You're cold as ice," Officer Santos mused. "Alright. If you change your mind, you've got my number."
"Thanks, Officer." Jester gave him a quick one-armed hug and made her way to the door. "Watch that partner of yours. I don't trust him. If he steps out of line, Ruiz will put him down like a rabid dog."
"Roger that," he nodded and opened the door for her, letting her precede him outside onto the cold dock.
The Mansion Safe House:
Jester glared daggers at her phone screen, fighting back her Darkness as it clawed at her and begged to be let loose. She had just gotten back home from the long, aggravating meeting with the others and she was not in the mood to deal with Joker's manipulation.
"What's the matter, my love?" Jonathan came into the living room and set a big bowl of salad down on the table along with a large everything pizza. He pulled some napkins from his pocket and set them down before putting down the forks he brought for them. "Is it Joker?"
"He thinks he's gonna just weasel his way back into my good graces, the bastard," she spat, cranking her arm back to throw the phone in her rage.
Jonathan caught her arm and wrenched her phone out of her fist, giving her a scolding look. "May I?"
"Go ahead. I'm sure you're gonna hear it day in and day out when the fucker is back home." Jester scoffed and crossed her arms over her chest, her expression reflecting her fury.
Jonathan sighed and raked a hand through his hair as he opened the text message Jester was so angry about.
'I wish you didn't hang up on me. I wanted to tell you I'm sorry – really, really sorry. I should have told you about the Doctor. I fucked up, Jester, and I know that. Despite how mad you are at me, I can't wait to see your beautiful face on Friday. I hope you'll stick with me while we execute your flawless, genius plan; nothing would make me happier than to have you by my side. I also wanna talk about us getting married. All of this time apart is driving me insane, I wanna tie the knot with ya as soon as possible. I was thinkin' we could do it somewhere nice like at the club or the house. I hope you'll call me, but I'll understand if you don't. I'll see ya soon. I love you, Songbird. Give Ace a kiss for me.'
"Hmm," Jonathan ignored the way his heart twinged as he finished reading the text, shoving his jealousy aside for the moment. "I'm assuming you're angry because he brought up the wedding?"
"He's delusional if he thinks he's gonna come home and marry me right away," Jester growled. "A shitty apology via text isn't gonna fix this, and neither is a wedding."
"Understandable," Jonathan agreed. "Come on, let's have some lunch while the babies are still asleep and then I'll run a nice bath for you."
Jester said nothing, leaning forward where she sat and snatching up a slice of pizza. They ate in silence, watching TV and enjoying each others' company.
Jonathan tried not to think about Joker's words or the inevitable wedding between the two clowns, refusing to let it bring down his mood. Jester was already in a sour enough mood and he wanted to focus on cheering her up and making sure the rest of the day was relaxing for her. He was a little miffed that she would only have today and tomorrow to rest, relax and decompress, but it was better than nothing at all.
Once they were done eating he cleaned up quickly before bringing her upstairs and running a hot bath for her. He waited until she was in and relaxing in the hot water with her eyes closed before excusing himself to go tend to the babies. He could hear them stirring on the monitor and smiled a little as he made his way to the nursery. He was surprised and a little apprehensive when he found Doctor Mills in the nursery, standing just inside the doorway and watching the two babies intently. The dogs didn't seem the least bit concerned about Doctor Mills' presence in the room, both of them laying in front of the crib and eyeing him curiously. He looked a lot better than he had when they first found him – his bruises and cuts were fading and healing nicely and he had some color to him. He was all cleaned up with trimmed facial hair and his hair styled nicely. Jonathan noticed he was wearing one of Tommy's t-shirts and a pair of sweatpants and chuckled, amused at how strange it was to see another man in Tommy's clothes.
"Sometimes I still find it hard to believe that such a sweet child was created by the likes of Joker," Scarecrow mused, slipping into the room and making his way to the crib. "Hello, little ones." He grinned down at both babies as they cooed and smiled at him, excited to see him as they always were.
"I hope he stays that way," Doctor Mills spoke under his breath but Jonathan caught it and chuckled.
"He certainly won't be as... eccentric as Joker. Jester is his mother, after all."
"Speaking of Jester, where is she? I want to talk to her."
Jonathan sighed, making quick work of changing both babies. "She's enjoying a nice hot bath at the moment. She'll be around later at dinner if you'll join us. Things have been rough lately and she hasn't had any time to relax and spend with Ace."
"I see." Doctor Mills came to Jonathan's side and carefully scooped Reina into his arms, ignoring the surprised look on Jonathan's face. "Where do we bring them?"
"Downstairs, they need to be fed. I can give you a tour of the house and make introductions afterward if you'd like."
Doctor Mills nodded, following Jonathan out of the nursery and letting a tiny smile stretch across his lips as Reina cooed at him and snuggled into his chest.
"Double Doc trouble," Harley mused, winking at both men as they entered the kitchen. "How ya feelin', Abercrombie?"
Doctor Mills rolled his eyes and huffed, annoyed at the nickname they had unceremoniously given him. "You can call me Brian, Harley," he drawled. "I feel fine, thank you. Just a bit disoriented, I suppose."
Jonathan laughed, fixing up bottles for the babies. "You'll get used to it."
"Take it from two Doctors who used to be in your position, Bri – you'll have lots of fun with us. You won't wanna go back to your boring, normal life." Harley grinned at him and popped a baby carrot into her mouth from the vegetable tray she was snacking on at the kitchen island.
"I'm not so sure about that," Doctor Mills argued, looking around the massive kitchen and marveling at how beautiful it was.
"If you didn't have a darkness deep inside of you – like the rest of us – you never would have fallen for Jester," Jonathan quipped, smirking as he tested the two bottles on his inner wrist.
"I'm not the only one who did," Doctor Mills crossed his arms defensively over his chest, shooting Jonathan a scathing look.
"That's correct," Jonathan admitted. "She's magnetic."
"I love that broad," Harley chirped, munching happily on another carrot. "She saved my life, ya know."
Doctor Mills shifted his gaze to Harley and raised an eyebrow at her. "She did?"
"Yeah. Remember that story she told about how she got all -" Harley motioned to herself, from her whitish-blonde hair to her white face and hands, "clown-ish?"
"I do," Doctor Mills chuckled at that and Jonathan did too, both of them amused at the memory of Jester trolling Doctor Leland and Doctor Cleary with her bleach story.
"I know I ain't gotta tell ya it was a lie. The truth is Mistah J threw me into a vat of chemicals to kill me and she jumped in after me to save me. I can't swim, and my hands were zip-tied anyway."
Doctor Mills' eyes bulged and he looked at Harley incredulously. "Joker tried to kill you and you're living here with him? You, Jester and Joker seem like the three stooges together... how the hell do you get along with him so well after that?"
Harley laughed, giving a half shrug. "I woke up mad at first, ya know? He ignored me which made me even angrier, but then he brought Jestah to see me and she was just like me, and she was nice. I guess I just let it go, ya know? I don't really hold grudges. I was just happy to be alive and my hair is really pretty, so it was kinda easy to get over."
Jonathan chuckled into the back of his hand, shaking his head at Harley's candidness. "Oh, Harley," he mused, squeezing her shoulder in an affectionate gesture. "You're a gem."
"I know," she quipped, grinning at Jonathan. "Everybody's different, Doc. My little accident made me better. I never wanna go back to the woman I used to be – I'm much happier with who I am now. Jestah's the same way. She wouldn't go back."
"I wouldn't either," Jonathan admitted. "Granted, I didn't fall into a vat of acid, but I wasn't always like this."
"What happened to you?" Doctor Mills looked curiously at Jonathan as he handed Reina to Harley so he was free to feed Ace.
"Are you asking me from a professional's perspective?"
"Touche," Doctor Mills countered. "I'm not trying to psychoanalyze you two. I'm just curious."
"Childhood trauma," Jonathan answered, pinning Doctor Mills with his gaze. "Childhood trauma changed me. Harboring a demon inside me didn't exactly help, either."
Doctor Mills paled at the mention of Scarecrow and swallowed hard. "Right. That thing."
"He prefers the name Scarecrow," Jonathan chuckled, burping Ace over his shoulder. "He has no qualms with you. He finds you amusing."
"Comforting," Doctor Mills muttered, stunned at how domestic Jonathan Crane and Harley Quinn looked in this moment as they fed and burped two infants and carried on a casual conversation as if they weren't violent psychopaths capable of snapping and killing him at any minute.
He sat down at the kitchen table a safe distance away from both of them, trying not to stare as they did normal things like normal people. Never in his life did he imagine he'd ever be sitting at the kitchen table in the Joker's safe house surrounded by Rogues that were just as dangerous as the Clown Prince himself. Before they found him at the Funhouse, the last time he saw them was in Arkham during group therapy – Arkham, where they were patients and he was a Doctor. Arkham, where he was safe – or so he thought. Now he was trapped in a house with more of them, terrified of what would happen to him once Joker broke out of Blackgate and made it back home.
"Hey! Breathe, pal. You look like you're gonna keel over." Harley cocked her head at him and frowned a little, looking a bit concerned. "We ain't gonna kill ya, Bri. Relax! Have a snack or somethin.'"
Doctor Mills blushed a little, embarrassed at being called out. "Thanks," he muttered, avoiding eye contact.
"I'm sure you're starving," Jonathan's voice drew his attention and he met the man's gaze. "Help yourself to whatever you'd like. I must be getting back to Jester."
Doctor Mills felt a pang of jealousy as he watched Jonathan make his way out of the kitchen with Ace, heading up to Jester's bedroom. He knew better than to say anything – he didn't want to die, after all – but he hated that he had to wait like some kind of lapdog for Jester to free up some time to talk to him while everyone else just came and went as they pleased with her.
"How 'bout a movie?" Harley smiled reassuringly at him, grabbing the large vegetable platter she was picking at and shuffling out of the kitchen with Reina.
He followed her reluctantly, reminding himself that he could still be at the Funhouse or, even worse – dead.
"So, what was it like seeing Zsasz again?"
Catwoman tried to break the awkward silence at the dinner table. She smirked at Jester and folded her hands under her chin as she waited for a response.
"Go downstairs and find out for yourself," Jester smirked back at her friend and shot her a wink. "He's locked up in Scarecrow's gas chamber."
"Wait a minute," Doctor Mills paled, gripping his wine glass so tight he nearly cracked it as he set it back down on the table. "Zsasz as in Victor Zsasz? He's here? In a gas chamber?"
"I keep forgetting he isn't one of us," Ruiz shot Doctor Mills a pitying look and set his fork down, politely wiping his mouth before he continued. "That's not the craziest part. He's back from the dead."
"WHAT?"
Everyone at the table, including Doctor Davis, laughed at Doctor Mills' shock.
"Ruiz, you're going to give the man a heart attack," Bane teased, grinning wickedly at Doctor Mills. "Mortifera killed Zsasz when she made her identity known to the Rogues."
"I'm so fucking confused." Doctor Mills' bewildered gaze swung to Jester and she chuckled, giving him her undivided attention.
"I emptied my clip on the bastard and had him tossed into the river. After all these months he's been brought back to life by none other than Doctor Hugo Strange."
Jonathan scoffed and rolled his eyes.
"Wait a minute... before we get into zombie specs, you mentioned he's locked up in Scarecrow's gas chamber. What are you, a neo-Nazi?"
"I resent the implication," Jonathan bit out in his dual voice, his orange-rimmed eyes boring into Doctor Mills'. "Have you forgotten about my fear gas, Doctor Mills?"
"Right," Doctor Mills turned a bright shade of scarlet and rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry."
Jonathan flicked his wrist in dismissal and looked at Jester. "I'm glad we're talking about this – what will we do with him while we're busy with the breakout? I don't trust him here alone with the two Doctors and the little ones."
Jester bit her lip and tilted her head to the side, taking a moment to mull it over. Jonathan was right – Victor Zsasz was just sneaky enough to escape if he wanted to. "Shit."
"I could stay behind," Catwoman offered. "Copperhead can take my place."
"I wasn't going to make you stay behind," Jester frowned at her. "I hated it when Joker tried to keep me home for the Arkham breakout. Are you sure you want to stay behind?"
"It's better that way," Harley interrupted. "Don't want the little one getting all banged up, ya know?"
"What are you guys talking about?" Ruiz raised an eyebrow at Catwoman. "Did I miss something?"
"I'm pregnant," Catwoman was so nonchalant about it that Bane, Ruiz, Doctor Mills, and Doctor Davis didn't react at first. It took them a few moments to process what she said. Before any of them could string a sentence together, the door to the dining room burst open and Poison Ivy stormed her way into the room looking excited and angry all at once with her vines snapping wildly around her.
"When exactly were you planning on telling me, Selina?"
"Jesus fucking Christ," Doctor Mills clutched at his chest and gasped for air, scared out of his wits by Poison Ivy's intrusion.
"Oh, it's the model man. Nice to see you again, dear," Poison Ivy shot him a wink and he blushed, giving her a weak smile in return.
"Sorry, Red! I meant to tell you, it's just been a busy day. I wasn't planning on telling anyone yet but Jester kinda called me out this morning." Catwoman winced at the withering glare Poison Ivy shot her.
Bane banged his fist down on the table in his excitement and his voice boomed in the small dining room. "Congratulations! This is wonderful news!"
"Does Tommy know?" Poison Ivy settled herself down in a chair between Harley and Jester and pinned Catwoman with her gaze. "I assume this is why we're breaking the men out Friday instead of... well, never." Her gaze flicked to Jester and she chuckled at the dark look Jester fixed her with.
"No, and yes," Catwoman confirmed. "I'll tell him once they're home and things have cooled down."
"Well, while they're all busy being super-criminals, I can give you a routine examination if you'd like. You can hear the heartbeat." Doctor Davis smiled brightly at Catwoman and looked just as excited as everyone else in the room.
"I'd like that," Catwoman smiled back at her.
The next morning, everyone except for Catwoman, Doctor Davis and Doctor Mills suited up to spar. Jester and Bane thought it would be a good idea to prepare themselves for the upcoming breakout. They all had specific roles to play, goals to achieve, and 'charges' to kill, hold hostage, or distract and they needed to be on their game. Jester, Harley, Poison Ivy, Scarecrow and Bane needed to be at their best – they were all going head-to-head with the Bat-Family during the entirety of the breakout as they executed Jester's master plan.
"Again!" Bane barked, beckoning Harley forward with his hand. "Harder this time, Payasa!"
Harley rushed him with her bat and swung for his head with all of her strength, connecting with his shoulder when he moved out of her way and gritting her teeth as the contact strained her muscles. "Dammit!" She was tired, frustrated, and angry and she wasn't getting anywhere with Bane. He had successfully deflected all of her usual hits and tricks and her bat wasn't any help against the behemoth of a man. Despite her agility and acrobatic abilities, Bane was beating the hell out of her.
"Take a break." Bane pat her on the head and motioned towards the deck where everyone was bundled up in winter jackets and boots to ward off the cold and the snow. "Your anger is clouding your judgment and making you too predictable and sloppy. When you are calm, we will try again."
"Yeah, yeah," she spat, dragging her bat along behind her in the snow as she trudged back up to the deck. "You're up," she tapped Scarecrow – who was in his true form – on the shoulder and the demon chuckled.
"Tagging me in, Harley?"
"This will be fun," Bane laughed boisterously, grinning at Scarecrow. "I look forward to seeing what you can do, El Demonio."
Scarecrow grinned back as he draped a heavy blanket over Jester to keep her warm in his absence. They had a fire going in the pit but Jester preferred cuddling up to him for warmth. He leaned down to stroke her hair and sighed when she kissed his burlap-covered cheek. "Wish me luck, gorgeous," he purred, lightly scraping his claws down her cheek.
"You don't need it," she gave him a coy look and he noticed that familiar spark in her eyes. He growled low in his throat, only loud enough for her to hear.
"Try not to sustain too many injuries during your spars, my love. I have a different kind of workout planned for us later."
Jester bit her lip and smirked at him. "Naughty," she purred, stroking his bare chest with her fingertips. "Now go. I wanna watch."
Scarecrow laughed and straightened up, melting the snow and ice as he made his way into the yard and towards Bane. Steam rose from the tracks he left in the snow and everyone stared in amazement at the sight of the charred earth he left in his wake. He stretched his long limbs and cackled, flexing his claws at Bane as he circled him. "It has been far too long since I've had a proper match, Luchador."
"Then I am honored to be a worthy opponent," Bane grinned at Scarecrow and readied himself.
Doctor Mills visibly flinched as Scarecrow and Bane clashed violently, both of them giving as good as they got. Scarecrow was careful not to release any of his Fear Toxin and Bane did not use his Venom, making it a fair fight for both of them.
"This is a normal day here, really," Jester assured Doctor Mills, peering over at him from where she was huddled on the sofa. "We spar a lot."
"This is the furthest thing from normal for me," Doctor Mills argued. "It's not every day I see a giant glowing demon and the likes of Bane sparring in the snow."
Jester chuckled at his comment and shifted so she was lying down comfortably. "Jonathan told me you wanted to talk to me. Spill, Doc."
He scooted his chair over to the couch Jester was occupying and inhaled sharply, trying to piece together everything he wanted to say as eloquently as possible. It was one thing to imagine this discussion in his mind the way he had a thousand times, it was another to be in front of her with her gaze piercing right through him. He swallowed and gripped his knees to hide his sweaty palms from her, hoping she wouldn't pick up on his anxiety. He kept his eyes locked on hers and he straightened his spine to try and exude some kind of confidence. "I was angry with you for a long time," he began, willing his voice not to waver or wobble from his nervousness. "The morning after the Arkham breakout, I woke up on the ground in front of my front door with a monstrous migraine and no idea where I was. I couldn't move, I couldn't stand, I couldn't remember anything from the night before. I threw up all over my doormat, so nauseous I couldn't even breathe without vomiting. All I could remember as I lay there helplessly was running through the corridors towards the cafeteria to find you. I heard from the guards that you and Joker had gotten into a fight and that he was harming you."
Jester nodded slowly, taking in everything he was saying. She stayed silent, letting him speak his mind and get everything off of his chest. She looked him in the eye as he spoke, making sure he knew he had her undivided attention.
"It was sometime around midnight when I was finally able to drag myself through my front door and into my house. I turned on the news and saw the coverage of the breakout – everyone died, Jester. All of the staff on duty during the breakout either succumbed to Scarecrow's Fear Toxin or Joker Venom or were killed by other inmates and, well... you guys. As the day progressed, I remembered bits and pieces of things – I remembered succumbing to Scarecrow's Fear Toxin and seeing horrible, awful things and screaming bloody murder. Flashes of that nightmare still haunt my mind to this day – I don't sleep well at night, you see. I have nightmares every night and I wake up in a cold sweat with my heart pounding in my chest each time, scared out of my mind. I also remembered you shocking the hell out of me in the ECT room and Joker grinning at me as you did. You see, Jester, I was angry at you because I was convinced you did it to torture me. I thought you were enjoying it as some kind of wicked, demented payback for my attempts at gaining your trust. I knew that Joker knew you were hurting me when I saw that wicked look on his face, and I knew he was taking great pleasure in my suffering."
"I wasn't trying to hurt you, Doc," Jester spoke softly, reaching out a hand and resting it on top of one of his. "I was trying to help you."
"I know that now." Doctor Mills gave her a small smile and placed his free hand on top of hers. "Joker told me the truth. See, I went to Giggles that night looking for a fight with someone – anyone! I was homeless, I was broke, I was miserable... I lost my job, my career was destroyed, and because I was the only survivor everyone accused me of being an accomplice. I was angry and drunk and all I wanted was an outlet for my rage or an end to my misery." He took a deep breath and shook his head. "I was angry when Joker refused to kill me."
"I'm sorry," Jester murmured, stroking the back of his hand with her thumb to try and soothe him. "I didn't know all of that."
"How could you?" He squeezed her hand gently. "I didn't think you'd be keeping tabs on me. I'm glad you didn't. Knowing now that you tried to save me, I can't help but think you would've found me and tried to help."
"I would have," she confirmed. "I care about you, Brian. Not in the way you want, but I do. You're a good man and that's why I helped you. You have the potential to do so much good – to help people. Not people like us," she motioned around them to her friends who weren't even trying to hide the fact that they were eavesdropping as they watched Bane and Scarecrow spar. "But people like you – people that had a shitty hand dealt to them and need support."
"Not anymore," he looked dejected as he said it, his head drooping slightly. "Now I'm one of those people. When Joker and Johnny approached me at the club, I was a drunken mess. I hadn't been sleeping, eating, or trying to help myself at all. I had given up. I wanted someone to just put me out of my misery. I didn't see myself climbing back out of rock bottom and I didn't have the energy to even try. I guess being trapped in the Funhouse with those maniacs made me realize I do have some fight left in me – I fought them day after day, determined to live. As ridiculous as it sounds, the horror and abuse I endured in the Funhouse reignited my will to live. I can't even put into words my relief when I saw you – I didn't think you were there. I thought I had finally lost my marbles and was hallucinating until I touched you. I never thought I'd see you – or any friendly face, for that matter – ever again. I can't thank you enough for saving me, despite what it cost me." He gave her a hard look, narrowing his eyes at her. "I'm not okay with what you forced me to do in there, Jester. I'm not angry at you for it, and I won't hold it against you – I understand your reasoning, I know you were trying to help me. I know that was your twisted way of giving me back control and forcing me to stand up for myself, but I'm struggling with it. I took several lives, Jester. Granted, they were horrible people – if they could even be considered as such – but it was wrong."
"Was it?" Jester raised a cool eyebrow at him. "Tell me the truth, Brian... did you enjoy any of it, even for a split second?"
Doctor Mills tensed as Joker's words from that night at Giggles flashed through his mind.
"You see, this is your chance to be free – to embrace who you truly are deep down inside. No more playing pretend!"
He shuddered and shook his head again, trying to shake the Clown Prince of Crime out of his mind to no avail. He could hear the deranged man's voice clear as day in his head, haunting and taunting him.
"You want to know how it feels to be in complete control, to hold someone's life in your hands, to get everything you ever wanted and never have to apologize or feel guilty for it."
"You were exposed to Scarecrow's fear toxin – you were screaming your lungs out on the floor in the main corridor when she found you."
"Stop," he murmured, avoiding her penetrating gaze. "I'm not like you, I'm not like that. I don't want to kill people, I don't want to hurt people for my amusement or power."
"You want control," Jester prodded. "You went to Giggles to seek out a fight or force Joker to kill you because you had lost all control and hope. You lost everything and you lost your will to live. Don't tell me putting those freaks down didn't give you even a sliver of that control back, Brian. Tell me the truth. Even if it was just for a moment, you felt powerful. You were back in control and you relished in it. I saw it in your eyes as you put down the creepy clown twins – you enjoyed killing them."
"No." He continued to avoid her gaze, bristling at her words. "No, I didn't. I threw up all over the place, for Christ's sake! You saw it!"
"I saw that as clearly as I saw that hint of a smirk on your face when I forced you to strangle the pair of them to death one at a time."
"She's right, ya know," Harley cut in, eyeing Doctor Mills intently. "You enjoyed getting your revenge on 'em. Good for you, Bri – those creepo's got what they deserved!"
"No!" He stood up from his seat, wrenching his hand out of Jester's grip and raking it through his hair. "No, I didn't!"
"If Tommy wasn't on my shit list for abusing you, I'd tell you to talk to him." Jester looked up at Doctor Mills and frowned a little. "He asked to be part of the crew and I refused at first, but we all decided to give him a chance to prove himself. I forced him to mutilate my brother in law. I made him cut a smile into the bastard's face with a rusty box cutter and cauterize the wounds with a hot piece of scrap metal to permanently disfigure his face. He threw up afterward, too... but guess what, Doc? It's his signature now. I can't count on my fingers how many men he's carved up like that since – all with a smile on his face."
"I am not like him!" Doctor Mills spat, beginning to pace where he stood. "I'm not like him, I'm not like you – I'm not like them!" He pointed at Scarecrow and Bane where they were currently locked up in a pretty nasty fistfight, ruthlessly beating each other and neither showing signs of stopping or slowing down.
"No, you're not," Jester agreed, adopting a thoughtful expression. "You're Doctor Brian Mills – a successful man catapulted into our world through no fault of your own and doing your best to navigate and survive it. Embrace it, Brian. Don't run from it. This is your life now. Will you be afraid of the likes of us forever, or will you face your fears and regain control of yourself and your life?"
"I can do that without killing people, Jester," Doctor Mills argued vehemently.
"Prove it, then," Jester nudged. "Spar with me."
"Have you lost your mind?"
Harley and Jester burst out laughing at that, shaking with their mirth. "Oh, Doc! You kill me!" Jester wasn't fazed by the incredulous look he shot her, wiping her eyes as her laughter slowly died down.
"I can teach you, Doctor."
Doctor Mills whipped around to face Catwoman who had been watching the entire exchange from her seat close to the firepit. "Teach me?"
"If you want to conquer your fears and regain control over your emotions and your life, I can teach you. There is discipline in martial arts, Doctor Mills. What do you say?" She cocked her head at him and patiently waited for his response, a small smile playing on her lips.
"Martial arts?" He quirked an eyebrow at her and folded his clammy hands neatly in his lap.
"I can teach you anything you'd like; boxing, kickboxing, capoeira, taekwondo, hapkido, jujutsu, dragon style Kung Fu or karate – take your pick. I can teach you once everyone leaves for the breakout and the house is quiet."
"Holy hell," Doctor Mills breathed, astounded. "You can do all of that?"
"Among other things, yes," she said coolly, examining her red painted nails. "Do you accept?"
"I'd take the kitty up on that, Bri. She don't offer favors very often." Harley nudged him with her elbow and gave him an expectant look. "Selina's an all-for-one kinda gal."
"Harley's right," Jester agreed, grinning at Catwoman. "Our house cat doesn't do favors unless there's some kind of personal gain for her. I'd take this opportunity if I were you – after all, she's much more skilled than Harley and me."
Harley nodded in agreement. It didn't bother her or Jester that Catwoman was faster, stronger, and more stealthier than them. She had been in the game much, much longer than they had and she came back to life after being thrown out of a window, after all. She made an excellent, powerful ally and a foreboding, dangerous enemy.
"Alright," Doctor Mills conceded. "Dealer's choice, Selina."
Catwoman grinned wickedly and pinned him with her gaze. "Excellent," she purred. "We will get started tomorrow morning after breakfast."
"What about your exam with Doctor Davis?" Jester shifted her gaze back to Catwoman. "Is that tonight or tomorrow?"
"I almost forgot," Catwoman's wicked grin dissolved into a brilliant smile. "After my ultrasound, then," she winked at Doctor Mills.
"Won't training me harm the baby?"
"Not at all. I'm not sparring with you on the first day. One must learn to crawl before one learns to walk. Slow down, speed racer."
Doctor Mills cracked a genuine smile for the first time since his arrival at the house and settled back into his chair. He turned it around so he could watch the end of Scarecrow and Bane's spar. Scarecrow had one clawed hand wrapped tight around Bane's throat, lifting his feet off of the ground as he choked the hulking man. Bane had a big grin on his masked face, delighting in Scarecrow's ability to get one up on him. He tapped Scarecrow's arm, signaling that he was tapping out of the match. Bane was covered in scorch marks, bruises, and some minor lacerations while Scarecrow showed no obvious signs of injury, but Jester could tell from the way he walked that Bane had given him one hell of a beating. His stride was slow and heavy as if he was simply too tired to move, and the glow of his eyes had dimmed just enough for her to notice.
"What was that you said about not sustaining too many injuries?" Jester cackled wickedly when Scarecrow snapped his head in her direction, his sewn mouth clamping shut in what she knew was annoyance.
"Your punishment later will be quite severe, my love," he promised.
"I'm looking forward to it." She shot him a saucy wink as she pulled the blanket off of her. Getting to her feet, she quickly scampered off into the yard to face off with Bane. She chose not to use a weapon to aid her as a personal challenge, wanting to see just how much damage she could do with her bare hands on her friend.
"Feeling brave today, Mortifera?" Bane taunted her as he loomed menacingly over her with a wicked glint in his eyes.
"Always," she singsonged, grinning wolfishly at him before rushing him and flipping over him at the last second, wrapping her thighs tight around his neck as she landed on her hands and squeezing as hard as she could, trying to throw him over or at least choke him.
Bane laughed, prying her legs away from his neck and turning on her as she cartwheeled until she stood upright. "Not bad, but I know all your tricks, just like I know all of Harley's. You'll have to do better than that, little one."
Jester laughed, putting her hands up and planting her feet in the ground beneath her. "Bring it on, big boy."
After a long day of sparring with Bane, Harley, Scarecrow, Ruiz, and some of Bane's men that usually patrolled the grounds and perimeter of the mansion, Jester was exhausted.
She was washing the shampoo out of her hair, letting the hot water soothe her bruised and battered body and aching muscles when Jonathan slid open the door and stepped in behind her under the spray of the water. "Christ," he hissed, examining the black and blue bruises and deep lacerations marring her flesh from her face down to her feet. "Sparring wasn't a wise idea."
"Of course it was," Jester turned and grinned at him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "We needed to get our asses in shape for the breakout."
"You realize the breakout is only 11 hours away, don't you? As it is, you're starting three hours earlier at the Funhouse." Jonathan pursed his lips at her, carefully wrapping his arms around her to avoid inflicting any more pain on her.
"I heal fast, Craney," she winked at him. "Besides, sparring with Bane was good practice in case I go up against the Bat. Harley and I certainly learned a lot."
"He nearly killed you both," Jonathan growled. "I fail to see the benefits of those spars."
"The benefits are that Harley and I learned how to deflect blows like that and to slip around a bigger man. Where he and the Bat have brute strength, we have agility and stamina. It gave me insight on how to deal with the Bat, that bird-brained little shit and Nightwing."
"Regardless, I want you to eat and rest after this."
Jester chuckled, planting a firm kiss on Jonathan's mouth. "As long as you join me," she teased.
"Of course," Jonathan assured her, pulling her closer to him. "I'm proud of you, you know. You did extremely well."
"What can I say? I'm a badass motherfucker." Jester giggled when Jonathan rolled his eyes at her and reached behind him for her bottle of conditioner, pressing her body teasingly against his as she did so.
"Keep that up, love, and I'm going to pin you against the wall and fuck you senseless." He bit down on her pulse point, drawing a moan from her.
"Don't threaten me with a good time, Craney," Jester purred, abandoning the conditioner and clutching at his bare shoulders. She dug her nails into his skin, biting her lower lip when he groaned.
"Little minx," Jonathan growled, quickly turning her around and pinning her roughly against the shower wall. He rubbed his length up and down her slit, bracing himself with his free hand pressed against the wall next to her head. He lowered his head, resting his chin on her shoulder and whispered in her ear. "You've bewitched me, Jester... I simply can't resist you. I wonder, how will you manage to split your time between Joker and me once he's back home?"
Jester shivered at his words, arching her spine and pressing her ass firmly against him. "Lucky for you, I'm spitting mad at him and won't be letting him fuck me again for a while." She moaned when he rewarded her by plunging into her, going as deep as he could on that first stroke until he was fully sheathed inside her.
He fisted a hand in her wet hair and yanked her head back until he could look her in the eye, slowly pulling out of her and reentering her. He kept up a slow and steady rhythm, enjoying his last day alone with her. "Stay in my room with me, then," he commanded. "I want to take advantage of every single second I get to spend with you, darling. I want to fall asleep every night and wake up every morning with you."
Jester wrapped her hand around the back of his neck and pulled his face closer to hers until their lips met in a frenzied, passionate kiss. She didn't say anything in return, knowing that her actions spoke for her.
His tongue delved into her mouth and caressed hers as he made love to her against the shower wall under the hot water. He released her hair and trailed his fingers down her spine, around her hip, and down her belly until he reached her sex. His thumb found her clit and rubbed slow, gentle circles on and around it, bringing her closer to orgasm.
Jester moaned his given name as she came apart for him, drawing his release from him as her muscles contracted around his cock. He buried his head in the crook of her neck, holding her up with an arm wrapped around her waist as they both panted and came down from their highs. "I love you, my littlest clown," he murmured, planting soft kisses along her shoulder.
"I love you," she whispered, threading her fingers through his hair. She was panting still, her forehead pressed against the shower wall and her legs trembling as she tried to calm her wild heartbeat. "Promise me you'll both come home to me after everything is said and done. Promise me you'll be safe."
Jonathan frowned, slowly and carefully turning her around and gripping her hips tight in his hands to keep her from collapsing. "Oh darling, we can do better than that." He felt Scarecrow lurking underneath the surface and could tell from the look in her eyes that his own were sporting that familiar orange rim around the irises. "We both promise to come home with you after all is said and done... safe and in one piece. Will you promise us the same?"
She almost didn't notice the split-second flash of worry in his blue-orange eyes as he regarded her. "I promise," she whispered, cupping his face in her hands. "I will always make it back home. Ace is counting on me, after all."
"That he is," Jonathan agreed. "We will stay as close to you as we can tonight. We won't let anything happen to you."
"You'll have one hell of a time trying to keep up, baby. The girls and I are going to tear through that place like lightning." Jester grinned at him and reached up to peck him on the lips. "Help me finish up in here?"
Jonathan chuckled, stroking her cheek lovingly with his thumb. "With pleasure."