"It's odd... Something just...isn't right..."

The District Attoney looked out the window of his office, running a hand through his hair as his eyes scanned over the city of Gotham.

"What is, sir?" Three men in suits stood around the desk near the window, looking over articles and reports, scanning over them carefully.

"The Joker...hasn't made much of a move in three days..not anything big anyway. The only thing we've found was the bodies of the three police officers. He hasn't blown up any building since destroying City Hall... It's making me worried, to be honest."

Harvey walked along the large window, staring out over the skyscrapers surrounding his building. Ever since Rachel had become a target, he'd been on high alert, trying to use every avenue to find the clown.

Just a few days ago, the maniac had crashed the fundraiser that Bruce Wayne had throw, blew up a vessel docked at the local shipyard, and set off multiple bombs in City Hall...all in one night. Everyone assumed the worst and predicted that his reign of terror would continue even bigger than before...but the last few days had been relatively quiet compared to before.

Yes, by the morning a police officers body had been found mutilated with their faces panted and a Joker card pinned to it for the last three day...but compared to before, that was pretty tame for the clown. Not that it make it any less horrific...

The city was still in full chaos from fear. If anything, not knowing what was going to happen next was making people even more upset. On top of everything, there were Joker copycats trying to cause trouble. It was all too much...

The only thing Harvey could be grateful for was that Rachel was still safe for now. The Joker hadn't made good on his threat to murder her, yet. That was the most terrifying part. Being unable to predict or understand the man. No one knew when or how he'd strike next.

"Sir...You don't think that perhaps someone could have taken the clown out...do you? The entire city is after him, including the criminals. I have reports from a source that the mob had sent a few men to try to investigate him because they couldn't control him and they found nothing..." A short man with salt and pepper hair spoke, a hopeful look on his face.

"Tch. Are you serious, David? Get real!" The others turned towards the tall man leaning against the side of the desk. "If this guy was able to kill my brother and the mob and Batman can't stop him...then he's still out there. Hiding somewhere, probably plotting something even more terrible than he's already done. If someone had taken him out, they would be boasting about it all over the city..."

Harvey turned towards the tall Korean man, nodding in agreement. If someone had stopped the clown, it would be the talk of the town. A government official would be awarded for their heroics publicly and a criminal would want their street credit and money.

'Hyeon Choi...' The man was a valuable asset to Gotham, working as an unofficial bridge between the District Attorney's office and the Gotham Police Department. He had been an exceptionally hard worker even as an intern years ago. Harvey had personally taken him under his wing after seeing the man's potential.

During his first campaign, Harvey had been astonished at the way the man was able to gather information and strategize. Since then, he'd kept him by his side as an irreplaceable member of the team. While the District Attorney was the face of Gotham that was to symbolize the "law and righteousness", then Hyeon was the one who worked in the shadows when he wasn't by his side.

Just recently, the man's only sibling, Hyeejin Choi, had been found murdered by the clown. Jin was a man who offered out his "services" to business and mobsters alike, but he always fed his brother valuable information that they needed. The reason for his murder wasn't exactly clear...or why the clown had been so blatantly vicious in the way he did it. Even for the Joker, it was cruel. That was really saying something.

The worst part of it all? Hyeon had been on the phone with Jin when it happened. From investigating the scene and the older siblings account, they had been talking on the phone and Jin had information he wanted to relay in case something happened. Men broke into his apartment and the younger Choi had put his phone on the dresser, still connected to the other line.

From what his brother said, Jin suspected that he'd be attacked or killed. He'd purposefully left the phone on knowing Hyeon was listening, that way even in the chance of his demise, the let him intention be known to his older brother.

Hyeon had been forced to listen as he recorded the audio to his own younger brother being tortured and killed by the Joker. Due to the distance between where the crime took place and where the phone had been, it had been difficult to make out what was said between the victim and murderer. The only really clear parts of the audio were gunshots, banging around and screaming.

Since then, the elder Choi brother had become like a man possessed...listening to that horrific recording everyday, trying to find out any piece of information his beloved sibling may have left him.

It was difficult for Harvey to watch, but if any information could be found to finally find a way to stop the Joker...it would be worth it. None of them would be able to rest until this nightmare was over...

There was only two days left until the press conference that Batman had requested be held. Something had to be done about the clown before this happened, otherwise...the caped crusader would give in to the demands and revel his true identity. This couldn't be allowed to happen..

Harvey wouldn't let it. Batman was a hero... Why give in to the demands of a psychopath who wouldn't keep his word anyway?

They had to do something...


The door to the abandoned warehouse swung open as the Clown Prince entered. His dark eyes narrowing in on the person who had been patiently waiting for him to arrive.

Sitting on a chair at an old table against one off the walls, sat Harleen Quinzel. She twirled her blonde hair between her fingers, lost in her own thoughts until she saw the large figure stalking towards her. Her eyes lit up at the sight of the man she'd been waiting to see again for so long. The last time they talked a few days ago had been over the phone and wasn't long enough to her liking.

"Mista J! I missed you, puddin'!" The woman jumped from her seat ecstatically, her heart set ablaze. Oh, how long she waited to be alone with him outside of Arkham...away from prying eyes.

"Yeah, yeah... Did you find anything out about what I asked?" The Joker didn't want to be here if he didn't, but would do what was necessary. Something had been nagging him in the back of his head recently...and his instincts were usually on point.

"Always straight to the point... Can't you ever relax and have some fun?"

Turning his head away with a scoff, what did this woman know? She really didn't know anything about him. Her idea of fun would be having a go at it in the warehouse and him letting her swoon all over him. No thanks... He'd rather blow himself up than be subjected to such torture.

'There really are somethings worse than death...'

"Come on, pumpkin... You know what my, uh, idea of fun issss! Now what did you find out?" He cocked his head to the side, licking the scar below his bottom lip.

"Aww, you have your makeup done and everything! You're so sweet..." The clowns eyes darkened as he looked at her, debating if he'd have to break a leg or not to get it out of her.

Seeing the expression on his face, the doctor sighed, sitting back into the chair and crossing her legs. "You're no fun... Anyway, I did actually find out quite a bit...but it's gonna cost ya, Mista J..."

She smiled up sweetly at him as he raised an eyebrow. Unless it was money, nothing good could from whatever price she had in mind.

"This better be worth it if you want to be paid for it." He reached into the pocket of his coat, watching the doctor carefully.

"Just a little old smooch, then I'll tell ya everything ya wanna know.. I have done a lot for you. You didn't even come visit me at Arkham, I was hurt!" She pouted, lifting the file off of the table and shaking it.

Joker grit his teeth, holding the handle of the blade in his pocket. If she put her lips anywhere near him, he'd cut them off himself.

Sensing that she was pushing her luck, Harleen laughed as she sat back in the chair, holding the file to her chest.

"I'm just joking, Mista J... All I want is you to come by to see me soon, that's all. I'm not an idiot. I know how you are... I really did go through a lot of trouble to get this for you, it wasn't easy."

"Deal. Now what can you tell me?" Joker grabbed another chair and swung it around, sitting down. He propped his head up with his arm on the back, staring at the doctor across from him.

"Okay..okay...Let's see..." Opening the file, she sifted through the papers. "I know you wanted to find out more about that trial drug we talked about last time you were in Arkham... It's still in use, but rarely now..usually for severe cases. I did find out something interesting, puddin'. The original trial for this medicine had been developed by Dr. Jonathan Crane...well..Scarecrow.. After he lost his job at the hospital and fled, the other doctors saw some uses from his experiments." Lifting her glasses off her nose and pushing them into her blonde hair, she tapped her chin thoughtfully.

"The doctors I spoke with had told me a lot more than what's on these papers. I had to tell them that Dr. Crane was a patient of mine and I was attempting to rehabilitate him, hahaha! They fell for it hook, line and sinker!" The doctor spread her arms out, laughing to herself about the little lie she told.

Seeing the frown on the clowns face, she lowered her arms. He didn't seemed at entertained as she was.

"Anyway, they said that when he was doing his residency in the psychology department at Gotham General, he had been using some of the patients as guinea pigs. Of course this was before he started working at Arkham. A few years actually...guess he wanted the hype to die down a little before he started up again. Probably spent his time researching and dabbling with his little concoctions..." Harleen frowned, thinking about all the trouble Dr. Crane had caused at Arkham...even now they were still feeling the aftermath of that mans madness. It was great.

"This trial drug... What happens to the, uh, patient if they take it? Aside from losing their memories. Side effects? Is there a way to reverse it...an antidote? I'm sure after yearssss of trials and testing, there should be plenty of research on it, no? You doctors wouldn't be soooo willing to give it to us without knowing what it does, right?" He wasn't stupid. There was no doubt in his mind that the patients at Arkham would be perfect for those doctors to test out whatever they wanted on them.

The patients were just seen as mentally unstable nobodies that were locked away and forgotten... No visitors usually, no one to check on them and educated narcissists who were more than willing to use them as test subjects. That was exactly why Scarecrow had gotten away with what he did for so long.

Everyone knew Dr. Jonathan Crane...any patient who was unfortunate enough to meet him, usually weren't the same afterwards. The doctor had a fascination with bringing out people's greatest fears, usually using gases he created from rare plants. He had become the Chief Administrator at the asylum and ran a Fear Adversion therapy program, where he claimed by forcing someone to face their worst fears, they could overcome them. It just ended up mentally breaking the people he tested on.

"Well, honestly Mista J...you know better than anyone how most the doctors are.. When I offered you that trial medication, that version of it had already been tested dozens of time. From the reports I've read and doctors I spoke with, the patient is administered the drug and within the hour, have their memories completely wiped clean." The doctor spoke, twirling her hair between her fingers. "Aside from that, I haven't heard of any fun side effects. How boring..."

Joker raised a brow as the doctor pouted. Erasing a person's identity and all of their memories...and it was boring because the person didn't suffer from any side effects? If she hadn't been so delusional and obsessed over him, maybe he'd consider letting her work for him. She had a great imagination and was smart, even though a bit insane.

Madness, however...was his specialty.

"Don't worry though, puddin'! That's the only reason I offered it to you in the first place. I'd never try to give Mista J something that would hurt him. Ya see, I did my research first." Harleen clasped her hands together against the side of her face, humming a little song.

"You wouldn't hurt me...just erase me." His voice was low as his eyes narrowed on the woman daydreaming across the table.

"I don't wanna erase you! You'd still be you, just without alllllll the terrible memories that I know are painted all over that genius head of yours. Mista J can't be taken out that easy... The Joker is you and you are the Joker. People can clean out the garbage in a person's brain or spray air freshener the cover up the stink, but no one...no matter how smart they think they are...can erase a person's soul. Eventually, it comes a shinin' through!" In a sing song voice, she beat her fist against her chest with a wicked smile.

"Interestingggg..." Perhaps this woman really was smarter than she looked.

"Harley, you said that there were no side effects with that version. I take it there was, uh, some with the others?"

"Harley?! What? Oh!... I get it... Harley..." Instead of answering the question, the blonde furrowed her brows in deep though. Slim fingers caressed the pale skin on her chin as she looked up to the ceiling.

"Answer the question!" The Crown Prince growled out as he tried to bring her back to Earth. It really was difficult to carry on a conversation with this woman. The ironic part was that it was her job to listen to people all day, but she had a short attention span anymore unless it came to him. Always a one track mind...

"Yeah, yeah. Okay... I heard you, puddin'. Was just thinkin'.. Hmm... Oh, yessss. Some of the other trials either went pretty bad, sometimes with the patient dropping dead or left insane. It really depended from what version you got... At least that's from what I understand. Usually it just did its job. That Dr. Crane...brilliant, but unpredictable."

Joker sat back in his seat, deep in thought. It was becoming harder to concentrate these days... Running a hand through his faded green hair, a sigh left his mangled lips.

When not roaming the dark streets of Gotham or making sure things were going as they should, it had been spent in an apartment across town. With Sakura... Now that she was awake, it was becoming harder and harder to leave each time...

It almost felt like no time had passed between them, and yet...everything was so different. He was no longer that wavy blonde haired boy who dreamt of a peaceful life with the cutie next door, and she wasn't the pink haired girl who would be willing to get into trouble with him as long as they were side by side.

No... He was now a cold blooded murderer and criminal who terrorized the city they grew up in. Had been for years now...and that wasn't going to stop. She was just trying to figure out who she was after years of being imprisoned in her own mind... The last seven years, the pinkette lived as another person entirely, being pushed into place by Bruce Wayne and other people who tried guiding her into a life they thought would be ideal. Not knowing who she was or having any memories, she must have not known what to do and just listened... Doing as she was told...

'Better late than never...' It was annoying having to wait for her to come home from work. Several times he debated on whether he should just blow Wayne Enterprises into a million pieces...then she would have no reason to leave the apartment. The only reason he hadn't was because she seemed happy when she came home... Maybe she liked being an interpreter? Or perhaps she was relieved that he would always be there on time when she came through the door?

Nothing felt better after roaming the alleyways of Gotham after having fun with the local police then having somewhere to go with a beautiful woman to fret over you and spend time with. Not any pretty lady would do though... Only her. She was the only one who knew the man he had been.

'The Joker is you and you are the Joker...'

He may not be that man anymore...Jack...but she was still willing to be with him. She cared for Jack and the Joker both same and both men still needed her in their own way.

A grin spread on his face as he thought of her... He could still picture Sakura doing her makeup in front of the mirror without a top on this morning... She was becoming more comfortable around him as they spent more time together. A week and a half ago, Tasha couldn't look him in the face without trembling in fear... Now Sakura would lay in bed with him, running her hands through his messy hair.

He could hear her soft voice calling his name...feel the way her dainty hands roamed over his scarred chest..how sweet she tasted...

"Mista J, what's got you smiling like that, huh? Ya thinkin' bout Scarecrow?" The image of the pinkette beneath him was dashed as that thick New York accent stabbed into his ears.

"Nope! Just thinkin' about a joke I heard a while back." There was no way he would utter a word about Sakura to anyone, let alone this woman. He wouldn't bring here into his schemes and if anyone found out about them, they would use her to get to him. It would either end up with her being killed out of revenge or ransomed to get him out of the shadows to capture him... Even then, the police would probably put her away for life as an accomplice.

'...I won't let that happen.'

"Come on, puddin'. You never tell let me in on what's so funny. You know I like jokes!."

Joker sat back in his chair, dark eyes watching the doctors smiling face. "Ya wouldn't get it even if I told you. A jokes not funny anymore if I gotta explain itttttt."

"Well, ya got there. That's true... Anyway, about Dr. Crane... You know, I never heard anything about an antidote or some way of reversing the drug. The people it's usually administered to wouldn't have wanted it anyway..."

The Crown Prince cocked his head to the side, his eyebrows raised. "Aaannndddd why's that?"

"I deal with all kinds of patients every single day. Listening to their complaints, their dreams, what they've done...all kinds of ramblings. A lot of them either were born with or developed some sort of psychosis. Others...just went through something so traumatic, they weren't the same anymore..."

No shit... It was common everywhere.

"Think about it...A Marine barely survived in his platoon after they were blown up from an IED or having to shoot down a child suicide bomber and can't forget...having to relive those memories every waking moment, not even being able to escape even in sleep... A drug like that would be like a miracle! They could start over with a fresh conscious, to be able to try to live a somewhat "normal" life... To some people it's like a dream come true!"

'...but what if they want to remember?...'

"Hmm... I guess I'll have to do some snooping around. Crane already escaped from Arkham... He wouldn't be hard to find. All right, Har, gimme them files ya got there." Before she could interrupt, his gloved hand reached across the table, snatching the papers in front of her.

"What, are you interested in taking it now? Weird timing...considering everything that's going on... Oh! I get it. You wanna use it on someone, right Mista J? Sneaky, sneaky! Guess you wanna keep them alive if you wanted to know about an antidote, right? Who is it?" Harley stood up as soon as he pushed his chair back.

"All these questionsss... Watch where you put that nose pumpkin, or you might end, uh, losing it." It wasn't an idle threat. Sometimes she really was too smart for her own good. However, he had eyes and ears EVERYWHERE. If she started sticking her nose around the wrong dogs ass, he'd have to put her down. Permanently.

"I gotcha, puddin'. Won't get into your business... I will tell you though...I've been keeping an eye on Crane...for personal reason. Don't worry, it's not like that. I've only got eyes for you, handsome!" The curious expression on his face must have given her the wrong idea...again. "He's actually been meeting up with the man he did his residency under in Gotham General under. Dr. Stephen Wells...along with some other shady people. Mobsters weren't unusual, but the doctor is... It's been years since Crane worked under him, so I thought it was a bit curious. Just thought you should know Mista J."

A mischievous grin spread across his face as his brows furrowed hearing this information. Perhaps it really was a good idea that he hadn't killed her off in Arkham back then... Part of him knew this crazy chick would come in handy some day.

Reaching forward, he put his gloved hand on top of her head, ruffling her perfectly straight hair.

"Good job, pumpkin!"

Harley's eyes widened at the sudden contact and praise. It was probably far more than what she could have expected from this little encounter...but far less than what she dreamed for.

Joker stood up, lazily putting the papers into the inside of his purple coat. Turning away from the woman who stood there gaping at him with a red face, he walked away from the table and towards the door he kicked in earlier.

"D-Don't forget what you promised puddin'!" Harley called after him, finally coming to her senses.

Raising a gloved hand without turning around, he stopped halfway through the door. "Yeah, yeah... Ta-ta for now, pumpkin..."


"Thanks miss, have a good one."

"You too." The man behind the counter handed Sakura her change as she grabbed the bag off of the counter. Slipping the money and pack into her purse, she left the store without another word.

Looking up at the sky, it was getting close to evening. What was once a clear blue sky, was now drifting into a different display. With the sun getting ready to settle in before night fall, shades of orange, yellow and red painted the horizon behind the thin wisps of dark grey clouds.

'...Like fire...Just like that day the bridge was blown up...'

Sighing, Sakura walked down the street, her chest feeling heavy. Today had been the first time in the last few days that Jack hadn't been waiting for her after work. Usually when she came through the door, he would be sitting at the table or on the couch, pouring over papers, sometimes drawing or writing things down. Despite the overwhelming curiosity gnawing its way through, she never went out of the way to look or read what he was doing.

"Don't worry, I'm not gonna drag you into this mess going on outside. I'll make sure you're safe..."

A smile spread across her face remembering his words. Even though the world saw him as a reckless psychopath, only she could see more to it than that. There was no denying what he was. Actions speak louder than words ever could...

A man who painted his face in a way that incited terror...killing and destroying everything in his path...He was completely out of control. Not even Batman had been able to stop him so far. And yet...

This man who was capable of bringing an entire city to his knees, who took over the news and would put his own broadcasts up with hostages in the background, who took Gotham's most beloved structure and crumbled them in his gloved hands...was able to whisperer name so lovingly in her ear as he gently ran his hands over her body...was able to make her smile and laugh at the odd things he said...make her heart pound against her chest just with a single look from his dark eyes...

The feelings from long ago were there, still burning strong. It was her Jack...but also the Joker. They weren't two different people like Tasha had tried to convince her of. They were the same man. Two sides of the same coin. You can take a quarter and chose heads of tail, but it's still just a quarter nonetheless. A coin is a coin no matter what side you chose.

'And no matter what, Jack is the Joker and the Joker is Jack. I'll love him just the same...'

It would be a lie to say she wasn't disappointed to find herself alone when she came home. Seeing his face, whether clad in makeup or not, always made her heart flutter. At least at home, she knew he would be safe for the time being... He'd have somewhere to shower and eat, a nice bed to sleep in. Sometimes in the middle of the night, he'd crawl out of bed and be out for hours, just to come back like he hadn't done anything... Just from the smell on him as he quietly slid under the covers and curled up with her, that he'd been up to no good. She didn't ask and he didn't tell. It was better that way...

Walking down the street, the pinkette shook her head. The area was still a dump...just like she remembered it. With all the promises from the politicians and big wigs of Gotham, one would think they would TRY to good on even a fraction of what they said.

The Narrows was still as run down and terrible as it was seven years ago. Dilapidated building, trash throughout the streets...homeless and drunk people sitting on curbs and in alleyways...empty drug bags littering the sidewalks where children would have to walk over...lines running from balconies with tattered clothes hanging from them...

'My God...' Nothing had changed, even after all these years. There were articles in the paper that she would skim over every now and then after moving back, boasted of how well Gotham was doing...aside from the Joker's antics or the mob making smaller moves in comparison. General crime rate among the normal population was supposedly at an all time low, the economy was on the rise, as well as unemployment.

Where was this happening? Sure, the middle of the city that was home to all the skyscrapers, businesses, and the rich were doing fine...but outside of that? Did any of the people writing these articles ever leave and take a look at the outskirts of town?

It was a hell hole... Are The Narrows not part of Gotham? Why did it seem like the rest of the city always forgot about this area? Why hadn't anyone tried to do anything to help?

'That District Attorney really needs to learn what parts of this district are under his jurisdiction... He was the one going on and on about making Gotham a better place and yet the worst part doesn't look like it's even been touched.'

This was the reason for the majority of the crime in the city...ripple effects from what was going on here. People will do anything when they're hungry, homeless, or just overwhelmed from poverty. If the mob or someone else tells you that if you work for them and they can get you out of this place, of course they'll take it. Especially if they have a family...

'People will take any hand reaching out to them when they're hanging off the edge of a cliff.'

"Hey sweetheart, whatcha doing 'round these parts?" A man's voice made her turn around as she walked passed one of the garbage filled alleyways. The smell of alcohol was pungent as she wrinkled her nose. "Don't look like your from here. Not a good area! Maybe I can keep ya company?"

Sakura bit her bottom lip, lowering her purse to her side. Of course there was always trouble in The Narrows...it was expected. However, she was prepared for worst case scenario on her little day trip through memory lane. In her purse was the handgun that Jack had insisted on giving her...and a switchblade in her bra.

"Just in caseeee, dollface..."

She took it, knowing he just wanted her to be safe. If she was going to be by his side or live in Gotham, there was going to be some trouble...eventually. It would be foolish to think otherwise.

"No thanks. I have all the company I need. Besides, I actually am from from around here..."

The drunk man looked at her curiously, expecting a different reaction. Usually women wouldn't walk alone around here. Even prostitutes would have their pimp not far behind. Not only was she alone, but also didn't seem afraid.

Walking in front of her, he leaned in as he narrowed his gray, bloodshot eyes trying to get a good look under the hood she had up. Green eyes glanced him over, narrowing in on the ugly Misfits tattoo on his neck. She'd seen it somewhere before..

The pinkette slowly slid her hand into the purse hanging from her shoulder, grasping the handle of the weapon. She didn't want to use it, just scare the man if necessary... Honestly, she didn't want to hurt anyone, but if this man tries to mug or attack her if she couldn't scare him off, the butt of the gun would have to do.

"You have such a pretty face! Why hide it under that hood? Let me get a betta look atchu..." He pushed her hood back, making her pink hair fall out around her face. The gun was barely out of her purse as she heard him gasp, taking a few steps back.

'What? Is he that shocked from my hair color?' The pinkette mused, taking in the man's shocked face as he stumbled back. It was almost funny seeing how his demeanor changed in a split second.

"What's wrong? Didn't you want to keep me company?" Had he realized she was pulling a gun out? Or some kind of weapon? Usually people around this area had some sort of protection and even if they didn't, a broken bottle would do the trick.

"S-Sorry... I think I mistook you for someone else. Just forget about this...Please! Look, I'm not bothering you anymore... I'm gone! See, no problems!" The drunk man seemed to sober up real fast as he backed away, seemingly terrified. What was his problem?

Sakura's brows furrowed as he backed into a crate and fell over with a shriek. Getting to his feet, he turned away and ran down the alley, out of sight.

"Hmmm... Strange."

What an odd reaction...looking down at the shopping bag in hand, a sigh left her lips. Where did she see that tattoo before? Shaking the bags bit while running through her memories, she kept walking down the street as if nothing just happened.

'Did he try to mug me before? Did I see him walking around back in the day? Maybe he'd been a thug Jack beat up?' Sakura hummed to herself as she turned a familiar corner, twisting the handle of the bag between her fingers.

"Ah!" The fundraiser... That's where she'd seen that terrible excuse for a tattoo. It was the clown who looked at her and kept going as he harassed and pushed around the guests, ripping off their masks.

'Based off of his reaction, Jack must have told them not to touch me...in some colorful way...'

A grin spread across her face thinking about it. He had an odd way of doing things, but that was how he was.

The sidewalk was cracked and uneven, easy to trip over if you weren't looking where you were going properly. Potholes littered the streets, just asking to pop someone's tired of you didn't swerve in the right direction.

Standing in front of the old building, Sakura's eyes widened seeing the state of the place she use to call home. It was in ruins...even for The Narrows.

Most of the place was just rubble...the only thing left was part of a wall and doorway of the entrance. It was grey and black from the damage that must have destroyed it.

'An explosion...no...fire? Did someone finally have enough of that shit hole? Or fall asleep with a cigarette?' No...it was probably Jack. He hated this place more than anything and all the bad memories that came with it. The abuse and neglect they endure, his father, having to watch his mother being stabbed to death, the scars, getting arrested, the screaming and fighting, her falling from the fire escape. This was the place where he lost everything...even himself.

'No wonder...'

Looking at the old door way to the building they grew up in together, she could still see herself standing there in disbelief that one terrible night years ago...


"What are you doing? You have the wrong person! He didn't do anything wrong!" Sakura yelled as two men in uniform dragged Jack out of the doorway of the building. They didn't want to listen... This entire time, she had tried to get through to them with no avail.

Inside the apartment, the officer handcuffed Jack as the other man held him down. He was enraged at the entire ordeal, resisting the two and yelling. They weren't able to get the cuff on him until one of the cops slugged him in the mouth, where his scars were still tender.

It was unbearable seeing them yank his arms behind his back and clamping those shitty things around his wrists harder than necessary. As she watched them dragging him down the stairs, not even letting him get his footing properly, his hands were becoming discolored from loss of circulation.

"This isn't right and you know it! He didn't do anything wrong! Aren't you suppose to uphold the law? To protect people?!" She didn't want them to take him...

Running down the steps out front of the building after them, she grimaced, holding her side. Todd had been hitting her again after drinking... They would always end up getting into fist fights these days. He would sit around getting drunk after running the street and come back to raise hell. Their fights usually started when he'd say something disgusting or try to get a free feel...and her mother just sat there, snorting lines and drinking while smoking a cigarette.

Todd had thrown her to the floor, kicking her in the ribs with his boot when Jack came out of her room. He heard it through the walls as he sat in his bedroom, waiting for her to come through the door that connected theirs.

She'd never forget the look on his face...or Todd's, when the drunk had his boot pushed against her rib cage. The beating he took afterwards was brutal. Over and over again, Jack kept hitting him...and her mother screamed as she tried to pull him off. He just pushed her back with his arm, telling her to fuck off. It was then that she ran into he bedroom and locked the door, calling the police.

Hearing the police sirens was the only thing that stopped Jack from beating him to death as he realized what was going to happen. The cops rarely ever come, especially that fast, unless they're on your payroll or you work for someone who pays them.

"We are protecting people, you moron! We got a call about a break in and an assault. The man you're claiming is the one assaulting people is waiting for an ambulance and this guy here, doesn't have a scratch on him. Your mother already told us all we need to know. Maybe you need to open your eyes and stop letting losers like this put their hands on you and smarten up a bit." The shorter of the two turned, narrowing his eyes on her.

"I already told you Jack didn't put a finger on me! He was only defending me. What the hell is wrong with you? Is money that important?" They weren't going to listen. Todd runs drugs for his boss and these cops are on his payroll. Jack was going to be taken away... All because he couldn't stand watching someone beat her... It wasn't fair...

The taller cop whirled around as he let go of Jack, making him stumble with his arms pinned behind his back as the other gripped him hard. Stepping up to her as she took at the bottom of the stoop, he grabbed the front of her shirt, narrowing his eyes down at her.

"If I were you, I'd keep my fucking mouth shut. Unless you want a ride down to the station with this freak! You Narrow bitches never know when to stop!" He spat in her face as he yelled. It was definitely the money part that sent him off...because he knew it was true.

"Don't talk to her like that, you piece of shit!" Jack trembled in anger, glaring at the officers back.

The shorter of the two took out his nightstick and hit him in the gut, making him double over. Sakura yelled out in shock, unable to watch him being hurt as the man hit him his back as hard as he could. Dirty blonde hair covered his face, but she could feel the rage emanating off of him.

"See what happens, girly? You guys would have been better off keeping quiet with your heads down around here. You don't need to make life harder than it already is." The cop let go of her shirt, making her trip over the step right behind her feet.

"You son of a bitch!" Jack lunged forward only to get a fist in the face from the man walking away from the stoop. The force threw him against the cop car, falling to his knees from not being able to get his balance.

"Jack! Stop hurting him!" The pinkette was furious as the cop smacked his nightstick against the side of his face. Without thinking, she stood up and ran off the stoop.

"S-Sakura stop!" As soon as the words left his mouth, she froze on the spot.

"That's right. Make one more move and... Let's see.. Resisting arrest, assault on an officer of the law... Should I continue?" The smirk on the cops face made her tremble in anger. How can they get away with this?

'...because no one cares...'

"I'll be fine. Just...get out of here till I get back..." A trail of blood ran down his scarred busted lip as the two officers pulled him up to his feet.

"But...Jack..." This was horrible. Why did this have to happen? It would have been better just to take a beating then to watch him go through this...

"J-Just listen to me, 'kay!" The door of the cop car opened and Jack lowered his head as he was pushed into the back.

They were taking him away... Of all the times there were fights, break-ins, thefts, and everything else you could think of, the police rarely show up. This time, they were here in less than ten minutes after her mother called them.

Sakura stood there rooted on the spot, trying hard not to cry with the dark eyes staring intently from the back seat. They beat him just to take their anger out on someone and were probably going to do worse later on. That's how these things went around here.

The cops would arrest someone, knowing they would just drop the charges and the case wouldn't even go before a judge. Otherwise the higher ups and lawyers would ask too many questions and see the condition of the person that had been held. It was just a way of showing who was in charge and what could happen if they were crossed.

The man Todd works for pays these men with dirty money. They wouldn't want one of there dealers out of work too long. Everyday is more money to be made and handed throughout the ranks.

As the car took off, Sakura felt like her chest was going to collapse from the inside. All of this...because of her and the drunks upstairs...their stupid fighting.

Why do they always have to do things like this? Letting bad people do as they please as long as there's money to be made while letting the innocent suffer? Beating Jack just to make a point not to interfere... It wasn't right, but who is going to stop them?the big wigs in the heart of the city are too preoccupied to even glance in this direction.

The door opened behind the pinkette as a woman stepped out of the doorway and sat on the top step. Green eyes narrowed in on the older redhead who sat there with an annoyed expression on her usually bored face.

'Mom...'

Taking a drag from the cigarette between her fingers, she looked at her daughter with her brows pinched together. Whatever was going to come from her mouth, was only going to deepen the already intense negative emotions they shared for each other.

"You happy now?" Here it comes... Every single time if anything happens to Todd, even if he brought it on himself, they were the enemy. "Now I have to wait for an ambulance to take him to the hospital... All because you wanna run around with that fucking weirdo. If you wanna run the streets with someone, couldn't you at least do it with someone who isn't so fucked up?"

'So fucked up?...' The only decent man Sakura really knew of besides Jack, was her own father. He had died years ago, but she could remember him like it was yesterday. Hardworking, dedicated, he loved the two of them even with her mother's addictions. The booze and drugs ate up most of the money, but he always stuck around, hoping things would get better...they never did.

"What, like Todd?"

"Watch your mouth! He might be a little rough around the edges, but he's got his good side too... No one else is going to take care of us, you gotta take what you can get!" Taking a drag, she blew the smoke into the air. "I don't know why you have to have to be with that punk. He's good for nothing... Always running around, stealing, getting into fights... He's gotten even worse since his folks ran off..."

That's what everyone said after that night, but they knew the truth. Jack had killed his father after being forced to watch his mother being stabbed to death. Even her mother didn't want to say out loud that she knew he had done it. It only made her more afraid when he would show up.

"And his face... How can you stand to even look at it, let alone touch him? I feel sick every time I see him now... That boy wasn't too bad looking before. Such a shame. Your dad would be rolling in is grave if he saw what you've been up to. Running the streets and sleeping with that freak. I know what you've been up to missy!" Sherri ran a shaky hand through her bright red hair, tapping the ash from her cigarette on to the step.

"Just stop. You don't know anything about Jack, not the first thing. His face is just fine the way it is! At least he has the guts not to hide it like other people would. Dad liked him a lot, it's only people like you and Todd who have a problem with him...calling him a freak over something he couldn't control..." Sakura was angry. No matter what, her mother always despised him. Even thought he does what he can to protect her daughter and make sure they're okay.

"I thought he was a freak loooonggg before the scars, sweetheart. So does everyone else... There's something not right about that kid. He's going to end up being a serial killer or something... Just you watch! Hopefully you'll smarten up before you end up dying because of him. That day, I'll say 'I told ya so!', but it'll be too late then."

The pinkette stared at the redhead, wanting to smack the smug look from her face. She was the last person who should be giving advice about men or anything for that matter. All she did was sit there drinking while Todd hit them, willing to let the both of them be abused just to keep her apartment and the steady flow or booze and drugs on the table.

"I hate you."

Sherri looked up at her as another puff of smoke slipped between her lips as she sighed.

"I don't like you all that much either, kid."


"What a bitch..."

Sakura sighed as she looked at the old building. She was glad it was practically gone now... While there were a lot of good memories with Jack here, there were more than enough terrible ones.

"That's right..." Looking at the broken sidewalk that ran around the old apartment complex, more images started to resurface. The fire escape...a knife...blood.

"Todd stabbed...me." That night was foggy at best, but there were things that became clear. They fought, he tore at her clothes...she grabbed a pocket knife Jack had given her, but ended up having a larger one in her gut.. It hurt...so badly.

She just wanted to get away, to get somewhere safe but couldn't get through the door. Jack hadn't come back yet... It was so dark out when she drug herself out of the window and onto the fire escape...lost a lot of blood... Everything was spinning as she tried to get up, grabbing onto the railing and it gave way.

"I fell... I remember..." The ground came so fast, it happened in seconds. One minute she was falling through the air, then light popped in front of her eyes as a searing pain crashed through she skull. Everything went black after that.

The next time she woke up, she was someone else... Isn't that when Bruce Wayne created Tasha and set a different path for her?

"No... There was...something else. I just feel it..." Throwing her head back and looking up into the darkening sky, Sakura could feel the empty space in her head. Concentrating, she tried to piece step by step what exactly happened. It felt like dipping your hands into a cold dark pond, trying to see what you can catch under the surface...not knowing what's lurking in its freezing depths.

"What do you keep trying to leave, miss? You know you're not completely healed yet... What are you trying to run to? Or is it that you're trying to run away from something? You don't like these little sessions of ours?"

Sakura looked up at the man next to her bed. Why couldn't he just leave her alone already? There was nothing to talk about and he gave off a bad aura.

The man sat on a chair with a clipboard in his hand, writing things down. She rarely said much to him, so what the hell was he always jotting down?

Taking his glasses off and revealing the dull blue eyes behind them, he ran a hand through his dark hair. He was young, only in his early twenties...but she could hear the nurses and doctors talk about the brilliant young genius that was a new resident psychologist under Dr. Wells supervision.

"Not really... You ask too many questions." She didn't like him, even though he was patient and always polite. He was too curious about things and stuck his nose where it didn't belong. Always asking questions...always trying to get into her head.

The others may be fooled by his appearance and mannerisms, but Sakura could see through him... This man wasn't a good person. She wouldn't let him look inside her brain and tinker with anything.

"Haha, that's part of my job, Miss Haruno. I'm sure you understand that... The mind is different from the body. You're body has healed itself at an incredible rate...curiously, even...but the mind is something entirely different..." His blue eyes stared at the side of her face, trying to gage a response.

The pinkette just wanted him to go away. She just wanted to go home, but the straps holding her to the bed wouldn't let her move. It had been a while since they brought her in here, but as soon as she felt some of her strength return, she tried to get out.. Had to let Jack know she was okay...find out if he was alright. He had gone on a job that night and didn't know if he made it back. It wasn't like they had phones to call each other...

"I'm sure..." His pale thin face broke into a grin as she eyed him wearily.

"You're suffering from what's happened to you. I can't help you if you won't tell me anything. No one is going to let you leave just yet. Just a week and a half ago, you were in surgery... Aren't you worried about hurting yourself in these little attempts to escape?" He turned his head to the side, watching her carefully.

"Nope."

A small laugh left his lips as he wrote on his clipboard. "Ahh...so brave, huh? Always putting on that face and hiding behind the things that cause you pain. Not wanting to look weak in front of anyone, right? The Narrows hasn't been so kind to you... Why do you want to return so desperately? You know there's nothing waiting there for you, right? Or perhaps you're just trying to run away from what's really bothering you instead of opening up to me?"

Sakura sighed, rolling her head around from one shoulder to the other. This was so annoying. Why did they have to let this guy come instead of Dr. Wells? He was just as intrusive, but not nearly as persistent.

"There's nothing I want to talk about! I'm tired of lying in this damn bed and eating this shitty food! I'm not running from anything and I definitely don't wanna let you dig into my head and mess it up more than it already is... Now please leave me alone before I rip these straps off and head butt you off of that chair!"

The man stared at her with his dull blue eyes opened in surprise. He was quiet for a moment, looking from his clipboard and back to her angry glare.

"Hahaha! Fascinating! That's the first time someone in this hospital had the nerve to talk to me like that. You're a very interesting girl...with even more interesting gifts. Looks like this will be even more fun than I originally thought. You just say whatever comes to your mind, don't you? You don't seem to care or fear the consequences..." The dark haired man held his glasses between his fingers as he propped his chin up on his hand that was leaning against chair. He put the end of the glasses between his teeth, nibbling on it as he looked at her curiously.

"That's right... I don't care. I'm not scared of anything." She narrowed her eyes at him with distaste, knowing her words were only going to bring on more sessions. Why did she always do this to herself...her and that big mouth. The challenge only seemed to spur him on more each time they talked.

"Is that so..."

Sakura's eyes widened at the memory, still looking up to the sky. Shaking her head, she took a deep breath as the dark was overcoming the red shades in the sky.

'I need to hurry up...' It was foolish to hang around this area when night falls. It would only bring unnecessary trouble, something that really wasn't needed.

Turning away from the ruins of her old home, she briskly walked away, feeling confused and agitated.

'I hope Jack's back when I get there...'

The whole reason for coming here in the first place was to try to bring back some of what was lost... Aside from that, she needed to get some food if there were going to be two people eating for now on. One of them consumes enough for three grown men as it was...


"Ahh...here we are!" A middle aged man walked through the entrance of an old building, a handful of men flanking his sides.

The building was an old asylum, long forgotten and abandoned since Arkham had been built. No one even bothered coming around this part of town...Not anyone to be worried about anyway.. Not many people come to this part of The Narrows.

Looking around while blowing out smoke from the cigar between his lips, he raised an eye brow at the men standing around.

"Where is Crane? Tell him to get out here... I don't have much time...I'm a busy man you know?"

Dr. Wells looked around, confused. It was Crane who arranged this meeting after all... He knows that he doesn't like to waste time. After the Joker had blown up their latest shipment of goods that was being shipped into the city, they had to scramble to start all over. The Chechen had been furious that the drugs they had created had been destroyed before even coming off of the dock.

"So sorry... Dr. Crane is currently unavailable. If you'd like to call back to reschedule for another appointment time, we might be able to, uh, fit you in somewhere."

Wells spun around on his heel at the deep voice coming from the back of the asylum. The men that had been standing around, lunged at his bodyguards, forcing them onto their knees at gunpoint.

"W-What?! What's going on here?" What's the meaning of this? Just this afternoon him and Crane confirmed their meeting here, so what is going on? Did he set him up?

"Ha...Ha..HAHAHAHo..HAHAHA!" The laughter boomed off of the empty walls, bouncing all over the building. It was chilling...he'd heard this terrible noise before...

A man walked out of the shadows in the back, dressed in a purple coat and green vest. His faded, messy green hair hung over the sides of his face with a few strands across his painted forehead.

'That face!'

The one from the people of Gotham's worst nightmares... Criminals and civilians alike prayed to God to never catch a glimpse of it. Skin painted white, dark black circles around those hateful eyes with red smeared on his lips and up those horrific scars.

The Joker.

"Ha..Ha...HAAAA... Docta Wells...What the matter? You don't look to happy to see me!" The grin on the clown's face would chills down the spine of even the strongest of men. His reputation that far proceeded him... Everyone, even the Batman, was scouring the city looking for this maniac and here he was. What could he possibly want?

"No one in their right mind would be thrilled of having the pleasure of your company... Even the lowest of thugs know that your presence alone brings calamity. What is your objective? Where is Crane? What is it that you want?

"Doctors and all their questions! Sorry, Doc...you're using too many big words..I'm just a simple clown, ya know!" The Clown Prince clasped his hands together as he walked forward. The henchmen standing around holding the bodyguards hostage started laughing, still holding their gun tightly against their victims heads.

Looking up to where a few of thugs who had free hands stood, the Joker twirled his finger in the air. Two large men stepped forward, grabbing the stunned Doctor by his shoulders as another pulled a chair forward.

"What the hell are you animals doing?!" Wells struggled against hands shoving him against the chairs, ropes quickly tying him down before he could really do anything.

"HoHAHAHA... Funny how quickly your tone changed. Isn't that right?" Looking back and forth in terror, the henchmen around the room laughed like maniacs. They were all insane...just one real look from the professional mind and that was clear as day.

Joker walked around to the front of the chair, eyes narrowing down at the frightened man. Cocking his head to the side, his tongue snaked out over his bottom lip and up his jagged scars.

'Disgusting...'

Leaning down to eye level, the Clown Prince grinned in the man's sweaty face as he tried leaning away from him. The reactions were only spurring him on.

Wells jumped in his seat as gloved hands grabbed around the back of his head, holding him in place. The sneer on the criminals face made him sick to his stomach, knowing something terrible was about to happen.

"What's wrong? Why so serious?..." The grip on his head was painful, the pressure only getting worse every second. "Am I making you uncomfortable? Is it the scars?!" The clowns dark eyes bugged out wildly staring into the gray ones just inches away.

"Ya wanna know how I got them?" Before he could blink, a knife was in the clowns hand.

"N-No...Not really..." This was horrible. Why didn't he bring more men with him? That goddamn Crane...

"Welllll, I'm gonna tell ya anyway!" Joker stood up, letting go of the Doctor as he stretched his arms out. The tip of the knife shined under the dim lights coming from the ceiling.

The older man's heart pounded against his chest, not knowing what to do. His fingers desperately clawed at the intricate knots behind his back that held him to the chair. If he could just get them undone, maybe he could surprise this psycho and try to make it out of here in one piece...

"Ya see...when I was just a liiiiittle boy, I always had such a cute face. All the older women just loved pinching my rosy cheeks, saying I looked like a little cherub..." Walking over to one of the men on his knees with a gun to his head, Joker crouched down in front of him. "Like thhiiissss. Look at this handsome guys mug!"

Staring back at the doctor wildly with his hands stretched out, still holding the knife, he continued. "One day, I looked in the mirror after allllll the pinching and fuss they were making over me. I just wanted to see what was driving these women so WILD!"

'This man really is insane! Just like everyone says!'

"Ya know what? When I got a good look at my face, I didn't see what all the hype was about. My face just looked so...boring." The doctor froze as the maniac turned to his bodyguard, but kept his eyes on him. Those dark eyes were daring him to look away.

"Soooo, I took a razor blade..and did THIS!" Joker grabbed the man by the chin, shoving the blade into his mouth and ripping up the side of his face.

"Aarrghhhhh!" Blood poured down the guards ghostly white face as he shook, his eyes wide and unfocused. He screamed wildly as the blade went straight to the bone.

" .SHHH! Don't be so rude, I'm not, uh, finished my story yet!" A gloved hand smacked the man's facial wounds, making blood spill out faster as the wounds tore themselves open from his screams.

Taking the blade and putting it back into his mouth, the clown smiled as he ran the knife up the other side of his face. The cracking sound made Wells sick as he leaned forward, emptying the contents of his stomach on the floor.

Joker sat up on his knees, turning towards him with his brows furrowed like be couldn't believe what he just saw. "I'm not cleaning that up." He looked up to the henchman still holding the gun to the bleeding man's head with a raised eye brow, who quickly averted his eyes..

"HAHAHAHAHA!" Slapping his knee and turning towards the shaking guard, he gave each side another smack to his face. "Anyway, where was I? Oh yeah... So after I did that, I thought NOW I really do look handsome! But guess what?! No one tries pinching my cheeks now!"

Grabbing the man's face who's eyes were rolling into the back of his head, the clown pinched both sides of his cheeks, making his head lull back and forth. "See? Just look how handsome THIS guy looks now? I bet the women are gonna be allllll over you!" Letting go of the guards face, he dropped to the floor, not moving anymore.

"All right boys, just shoot the rest. Need to remind Dent we're still here! Take them and make 'em look pretty, tonight will be their debut in the tunnel. They want to leave their audience with a lasting impression after all. We wanna make sure the papers give us another stellar review!"

"Sure boss." The henchman aimed his gun at the bleeding man on the floor and shot the back of his head.

Wells cried out as the few men he had brought with him were coldly gunned down by the laughing crazies working for the madman who spun on the spot, arms spread out wide as blood spattered all over the floor. He was enjoying this...

"You're sick! You're just fucking sick! What the hell is wrong with you?" The clown stopped laughing and the man jumped out of his skin as how fast he turned his head towards him.

'Is this guy for real? ...Had he ever really been a human being? There were stories that went around...but the real deal was far worse than I imagined... This man just doesn't need a to be locked away in Arkham...he needs to be shot!'

The henchmen started dragging the bodies of his guards out one by one, preparing to do who knows what ghastly things to their corpses. Now it was just him and the clown together...

'He's going to kill me...he's going to kill me... No one but Crane knows where I went. Where the hell is Crane?! Can't anyone stop this madman? I can't believe I'd even settle for Batman breaking in right now!'

Joker turned around after the last henchmen left, closing the door behind him. Walking closer, he made a disgusted face as he saw the bile on the floor.

"AHHHH!" Wells frozen horror as the Clown Prince grabbed the back of the chair with his bloody gloves, pulling him across the floor and away from the mess.

"Now Doc, where were we?" His voice took on a deeper tone, letting him know he was getting serious.

Cocking his head to the side as he stared him down, the doctor felt a lump form in his throat as he saw the gloved hand slip into the inside of the purple coat, pulling something out.

"W-Where did you get that?!" It was a handful of folded paper. His papers...

"Oh, so you already recognize them? Then you already know they're from the safe in your house...Why ask stupid questions if you already know the answer?" Wells gray eyes widened as the gloved hand smacked the papers across his head.

"Since when does a psychologist dabble in, uh, little experiments like this? Hmm?" He walked around the chair, looking through the papers and betting blood on the edges of them.

"What does it matter to you? What do you have to do with it?" Was it courage or stupidity that was making his mouth move?

Joker spun around, almost nose to nose with the doctor. His dark eyes narrowing in on him.

"Oh... I'll show you what it has to do with me... Saddle up, Doc! It's gonna be a long night!"


A/N: Thanks for reading even though it was longgggg. Don't worry, you guys will get exactly what you want next chapter.