"Shit!... What am I supposed to wear now?" Sakura panicked when the van stopped. Her dress was completely ruined now, her bra and panties torn to shreds on the tarp. "What about these?"

"Hahaha!" Hearing his laughter, she couldn't help smacking his hard chest in response, agitated at the way he was enjoying this.

"What am I going to do?! I don't want those guys seeing me like this!" That would be too humiliating... They probably heard them, which was bad enough as it is, but to see her practically naked? No way... She wouldn't be able to step out like this.

A hand grabbed her jaw tightly, yanking the pinkette close enough that she could feel his hot breath washing over her cheeks. A throaty growl warned that he didn't like what was being said. It wasn't like her worries were illogical. She doubted any chance that there might be a change of clothes in one of the crates. They were probably full of weapons and other things she would rather not think about.

"Do you really think that after our little...discussion...that I would let any of them see you like this? Hmm? That I'm that thoughtless?" The words came out in a snarl as he snapped his jaw. Sakura froze at the bite, feeling goosebumps pinching at her skin. For some ungodly reason, she liked it. The way his voice deepened when he was angry, how it made her shiver. Maybe it wouldn't when she could clear her head, get some fresh air, without him breathing down her neck...and the post-orgasm high finally wore off... Probably not. There was a good chance none of those things were happening anytime soon.

"No... I guess not. I just thought that you might have been-... I don't know-too caught up in the moment? I know I definitely was." It was true. She really hadn't been concerned about what would happen when they arrived. The only thing on her mind was him and what he was doing to her body. It was in those moments all reason went straight out the window.

It seemed that he liked the answer, leaning forward to bite and nuzzle her neck, burying his nose into the pink hair hanging loose and wild. The clown thoroughly relished knowing that she was so consumed in what he was doing to her, that she couldn't think straight.

"Heh... You have no idea what you do to me, dollface..." Joker ran his lips along the column of her throat, moving up to kiss her hard and letting himself get lost again.

A knock on the back door of the van made him abandon her lips, shouting out his irritation.

"Anyone who opens that door will be shot!"

Sakura moved closer to him, nervous someone might be foolish enough to try it anyway or didn't hear. Large hands ran along her back when she curled into his chest. It felt secure there, that he has everything under control and no one would defy him. Not unless they wanted a bullet lodged in their skull.

"Here. Wear this..." Reaching over, Joker grabbed something from off of the tarp, but the pinkette couldn't make out anything. It was already late when she ran into his men, there was no doubt that it was dark outside by now. Guiding her with his hands to put her arms up, Sakura could feel a large dress shirt being pulled around her slim body. It smelled like smoke, gasoline and cigarettes... It was the one with hexagon patterns that he was always wearing beneath the green waistcoat.

One by one, the Joker put each button together, smoothing it down and spending way too much time on the chest area. It was too big, reaching halfway down her thighs, but at least covering what was important. The heat in her cheeks rose at an alarming rate, becoming completely flush at what she was being forced to wear. This was a bit much, but that seemed to be normal for him. Never caring about what anyone else thinks and just doing as he pleases, enjoying the reactions he could elicit along the way.

"Ah. Ah. Ah... We're no-t done. You're, ah, not going anywhere with those legs showin' like that..." Something heavy fell on her shoulders and it took a moment to realize that it was his purple trench coat weighing down her small frame down. Grabbing her arm, he pushed it through the sleeve, humming a little tune while he worked.

Sakura imagined this felt similar to a parent dressing a child, having to stand there while he stepped around, tugging and pulling the fabric in different directions. Setting everything to his liking and standards. How the clown was able to see what he was doing in the dark was completely lost on her, but each movement felt precise, intentional. Fingers gathered the pink locks stuck in the back of the coat, grasping it all in his palm and tugging it free, carefully fanning the hair out along her shoulders and chest. It's like he already had an idea of how the scene should look and was positioning everything to fit the vision he had in mind, before they went into the light. He was close enough that she could feel him swaying back and forth on his feet, languidly reaching out towards her. Hearing the little song that she recognized-even though he added his own twist at most parts-and feeling the soft touches, the corners of her mouth curl up in a smile, finding his actions strange...but endearing.

Despite the fact that Sakura only needed clothes because of his erratic behavior, it was sweet for him to do this. He probably destroyed the clothing on purpose, having every intention on making her step out of the van in his clothes, for all his men to see. What a strange man... Instead of saying how he felt or thought, everything always had to be done in a roundabout way that finished with him getting his point across.

The coat was so thick and heavy, no wonder he was always slumping his shoulders. The fabric was comfortable to the touch, she couldn't resist running her fingers over it. When it was slung over the back of her chair in the apartment, the pinkette would sneak a free-feel when he wasn't looking. It must have cost a pretty penny from what she could tell when checking it out before. There were no labels of any sort, probably custom-made knowing him. Everything had to be one of a kind, no one else could possess what was his...

Just like with the dress shirt, Joker was carefully buttoning up the front of the coat. His nimble fingers didn't miss a single one, making sure nothing was left open. Smoothing it out, he leaned in towards her neck and grasped the thick material in his fists when she tried to step back. Sputtering something incoherent, she stopped herself at the sound of him breathing in deeply, taking in their combined scent. He let out a throaty growl, enjoying every moment of this.

'He's sniffing me...like a dog.'

"That's better! I always wanted to see you in this..." Grabbing the front of the coat, he pulled the pinkette against his chest to kiss her hard, letting his hands roam beneath the purple fabric at their leisure. Slithering down, fingers gripped her ass hard, digging into the soft flesh and grinding her up against him. Despite being completely sore, Sakura couldn't help the breathy sigh escaping her lips from his ministrations. It was an strange feeling... Wearing his clothes, how insistent he was to put them on her with his own hands.

What was this sensation? Did he just want whoever was here to see it? Maybe she really did like the thought of being his... Enjoyed how he wanted to be so dominate. It brought an odd sense of comfort being with him, knowing that she had nothing to fear anymore. The Joker was the 'boogeyman' everyone was so terrified of and it was true-he is scary. There's no hesitation in the vicious acts the he commits and has no regard for others lives. He gets off on the thrill of his own ingenuity and ability to pull off the most unbelievable plans. The clown could easily hurt someone like her, but he chooses not to. That wasn't something anyone else could say.

"Ja-Joker..." She almost did it again. He wasn't "Jack" right now, but the Joker. It'll take some time to get used to, but there was no doubt he would be angry if his men heard that. That word was exclusively saved for the moments they were alone, like a dirty little secret that no other soul was privy to. He didn't want these people to know who he used to be. No matter how much he tried to shed the past and that person, he could never really get rid of him. That became painfully clear when they ran into each other outside the bank weeks ago. Perhaps he's been successful at burying his true identity from himself, his underlings and the authorities, but there was one problem. As long as she was still breathing, Jack would always be around, lying just beneath the surface of greasepaint.

"That's right, doll. Don't, ah... Don't forget tha-t." Moving away, there was shuffling around from him putting on what was left of his clothes. This was a bit embarrassing... When they stepped out of the van, the men out there would all know what happened, without saying a word. Even the ones who hadn't been driving. It wasn't that she cared what these people thought about her and Jack, but there was a bit of self-consciousness anxiety about them knowing. It felt like her privacy was being invaded. If they were going to be together, she'd have to get used to that...probably.

A gloved hand latched on to her wrist, guiding her to stand up. The trench coat was too long, reaching all the way to the floor. That wasn't surprising... It went past Jack's knees when he was wearing it and he's almost a foot taller than her... On someone of Sakura's stature, it was overbearing. She was practically swimming in purple when she tried moving around.

"I feel like a flasher..."

"HAHAHAHAAA!" The sudden laughter made her jump, almost tripping on the over-sized coat if he didn't have a tight grip on her. Whatever was in the pockets banged against her legs like small weights, making her brows raise. What the hell was in them? Almost afraid to ask, the pinkette shook her head, figuring it was better not to know.

"Careful there. Don't want ya falling over and giving anyone a show. If ya do... I'm seriously gonna punish you." The growl at the end sent a shiver up her spine, not sure if she actually wanted that or not. It might be fun to try teasing him, but there was no way in hell the men out there were going to get a sneak peek at anything beneath these clothes. The pinkette was afraid to think about what he would do if she did it on purpose. An accident would have pissed him off, but if she did it knowingly... That would have him spiraling and foaming at the mouth.

'Nope... Not going there.'

"Trust me, that's the last thing I want... To give anyone a show, I mean."

"So... Does that mean you want the punishment part?" He snickered, letting go of her as he shuffled around. Hearing the sound of metal clanking, she hoped he was only putting on his belt and not toying with some kind of weapon in the dark.

'Yeah, that sounds like his belt. Thank God.'

Going towards the noise, Sakura reached forward, wanting to be closer to him. Closing her eyes, she relished in the warmth radiating from his body when her fingers ghosted along his chest. Licking her lips, she could picture his tan skin, riddled with dark, jagged marks while her slim hands ran along them, wishing there was some light so she could see. His lean muscles jumped at the soft touch and the pinkette couldn't help smirking at the reaction. He sucked in a sharp breath when her nails grazed over his nipple, trailing down towards his abdomen. From how thick the trench coat was, it was hard to tell what kind of body he really had.

"Of course... What-ever you want to give me." With a sly grin, she ran her hand past the belt he was buckling, reaching down to grasp him through his pants. A groan left his lips that turned into a full on growl as she stroked him. Pressing her lips against his chest, the sound reverberated against her mouth, sending shock waves through out her entire body. The sound excited Sakura, who wanted nothing more than to keep hearing it.

"Shit... Okay, dollface..." Grabbing her wrist gently, she sighed when he pulled her hand away. "As much as I really don't want you to stop, let's, ah...save it for when we're inside. M'kay? My men are right outside those doors and I really couldn't give two-shits what they hear from me, but I don't want them listening to you.." His voice was quiet, strained. It was clear from the way he talked and moved her away how reluctant this was, but he was right. Just from a small touch, he was already hard and ready to go again.

"Tch... Goddammit. You're too much... Ya know that?" There was bark to his words, yet no bite. Almost like he was trying to sound mad, but couldn't find it in himself to be. She was sure he'd love nothing more than to mess around back here, if only they didn't have an audience. It wasn't the same as earlier when they were driving around and the men in the front had music on blast. There were probably dozens right outside, waiting for their Boss to hop out. Plus, the van wasn't moving anymore. No one could say they were mistaken about what was happening and two or three guys were easier to kill than 20, maybe more.

Sakura leaned her back up against the van wall, listening to him shuffling around and moving things, but she couldn't see what he was up to. It was probably to get his mind off of what could have happened, trying to distract himself and calm down a little, before facing the men outside. He was a different person to these people, couldn't act or talk to them the same way he does with her. There was an image to uphold as the ruthless 'Boss' they took orders from. The pinkette imagined seeing a topless clown with a boner might not seem very intimidating in front of a bunch of criminals. The thought made her snicker and when he suddenly stopped moving, she'd swear she could feel a dark glare spearing into her. He probably thought she was laughing at him-and he would've been right.

"Gahh..." Something hard hit the tarp and rolled, smacking against her foot. "Would you, ah, hand me that, sweetheart?" Bending down, Sakura scrunched her face up when her fingers touched the rigid surface. A gasp left her lips, feeling whatever it was. Long, cold...metal? Wrapping her hand around it, she quickly lifted it up. There was some weight to it.

"H-Here." Honestly...she didn't want to know. It's better that way.

A gloved hand coiled around her small fist when she held it out to him. Sakura swallowed hard, trying not to think about what it might be as he carefully took it from her hand. From the way he gingerly handled it, maybe it was something that could've possibly hurt her or he would have just snatched it away. A bad feeling crept into her stomach. Knowing him, it was probably one of his toys...

"Ahhh.. Thanks. You're such a doll!" Joker sounded playful, like he was in a good mood. It was always strange how his voice changed to different octaves when he spoke, depending on his mood at the time. It was definitely different from when they were growing up together. "Let's go, sugar lips. Got something I wanna show ya..."

Grabbing Sakura by the hand, he guided her towards the end of the large van, kicking at the door with a dress shoe. In seconds, they opened and a few men were standing there, making the pinkette feel bashful all over again. These ones she hasn't seen before. They weren't the ones who tried 'escorting' her earlier. How many underlings does he actually have? Was it considered a gang? Some of the news outlets refer to them like a small army, a little thing she just remembered that put her right back on edge. There can't be that many, right?

'It's okay... It's okay.'

Joker jumped out onto the cement, quickly turning to help Sakura get down. Reaching a gloved hand out, he froze on the spot, finally seeing the arrangement of his clothing on her in the light. The clown swallowed hard, raking his eyes along her body with a sharp breath, taking in every detail. The expression on his face made her fidget, suddenly felt embarrassed from his gaze. Despite being completely covered by the large trench coat, she felt the urge to cover up, like she was naked in front of everyone. There was rapture in those dark pools, completely enthralled at the sight in front of him.

Seeing him shirtless out in the open with his pants hanging low around his hips made her flush, the heat in her cheeks staining them red. She shifted on her feet, using the long sleeve of his coat to cover part of her face. A nervous little habit she picked up a while ago. It only served to show how bashful she was to all these murderers standing around. Their opinions didn't really matter. Her eyes focused in on the Joker, his presence helping to calm the nerves gnawing on her insides. The corner of his mouth quirked up in amusement, finding it endearing when she reacts that way to him.

'Jack's really eating this up... He must really like seeing his clothes on me. What a strange man.'

"What a sight for sore eyes..." Grabbing onto the purple fabric around her hips, he effortlessly hoisted her out of the van, carefully placing her down onto the cement where his men parked. The pinkette was glanced at the men standing around, almost glad that she wasn't in that dress from earlier. There was at least fifteen of them near the van waiting for him and their next orders. That didn't include the handfuls moving around the other vehicles. It was a great variety of large, small, short, tall, fat, skinny, or muscular builds. The clown uses everything to his advantage depending on the situation and he had an armory of different underlings for any situation he creates. No matter where he needed his goons to blend in with him in disguise or to sneak around, he can pick and choose as he pleases. Some were clearly thugs from The Narrows, others looked like they had no business being anywhere near a gang. Then again, appearances could be deceiving. These guys are all cut-throats, the only logical reason why they'd be here. The Joker isn't the kind of guy who likes to waste time dealing with simple amateurs or anyone he deems 'useless'. Knowing him, if they didn't live up to his expectations, he'd cut them loose-literally.

No wonder Jack insisted on her wearing his clothes... He didn't want her walking around these men in a dress that showed off her legs and a pair of heels. Before she walked out the door for work, he was surprisingly in the shower, without her goading him in with the temptation of company. There wasn't a chance for him to see her attire, which would've ended with her being late from a forceful strip session. Now, she could see why he wanted the trench coat on her for a multitude of reasons. She didn't know these people...but he does. Every action is for a reason and has a meaning behind it. Perhaps he knew there might've been problems for him with her dressed like that. One catcall or free-feel, and someone's head would be rolling across the cement.

Sakura drew her eyes away from the man standing in front of her, towards their surroundings. It was already late, the sky shifting from a deep blue to total darkness, making the stars and moon shine bright. When winter's coming, the night always comes crawling faster in the evening. From the frigid air biting at the tip of her nose, she knew they were on the precipice of it. Looking towards the clown, part of her felt guilty for wearing his coat when she saw the little wisps of fog leaving her lips. It was cold out and he was bare-chested, only in his pinstriped pants an dress shoes. Despite the chill in the air, it didn't seem to faze him in the least.

There were blaring lights throughout the small parking lot where they stood, right out front of a large old building. From the looks of the dilapidated structure, it must've been another abandoned warehouse, one of many throughout the city. A couple trucks and vans were parked nearby, lined up one after the other. Men were carrying crates and boxes towards the side, far enough away that she couldn't see where they were taking them.

An arm wrapped around her shoulders, yanking her close as he planted a sloppy kiss on her forehead. She couldn't help feeling shy with the group of men watching them. Some looked confused or bewildered, a couple had an expression akin to pity, but most tried a straight face. It showed which ones had better self-control, that could resist the urge to display what they were actually thinking on their face.

'I guess it's strange for them to see their Boss doing something like this? That's good to know. At least it doesn't seem to be common...'

Looking down when something heavy tapped against her leg, Sakura's eyes widened in surprised. Her lips parted to say something, but nothing came out aside from a shuddered breath. The object he asked her to hand him in the van... It was a heavy steel pipe with a thick elbow joint at the end. Seeing the shocked expression twisting her face, the clown's grinned maliciously. The image hit her right in the gut, knocking the air from her lungs. He wasn't the kind of person who suddenly decided to pick up plumbing for a hobby. No... This was a weapon, a very nasty one.

Pulling his arm back, he barked out a deep laugh, ruffling the pink locks and purposefully trying to make a mess. She moved to swat at the offending hand, only for him to avoid it as he stepped away, striding in the opposite direction. Despite the seemingly playful notion towards her, something tightened uncomfortably in her gut, watching him anxiously.

'He's going to do something horrible. I can feel it in my bones. I don't like this...'

The men froze when the Joker sauntered along the line they quickly formed, arms behind his back, tapping the pipe against his gloved hand. Not once after walking away, did he turn to look back at her. That only confirmed it for Sakura that something bad really is going to happen. Over the last week, the pinkette started to notice he would try to avoid eye-contact right before acting on his bad intentions. One glance at his posture and she knew what kind of state he was falling into. His was hunched forward with his shoulders raised high, eyeing each and every person carefully as he made his way down the row.

Sakura nervously pinched at the thick fabric of the coat's sleeves between her fingers, watching him in trepidation. This was the first time seeing Jack in his 'element' or with his underlings like this. The two of them were usually in the apartment, besides going to the park, but the men only opened and closed the gates... This was completely different. The air around him quickly changed, making her heart pound in her chest.

It wasn't like being with Jack... No, this was The Joker...

Biting her bottom lip, she held her breath, feeling completely out of place around these people. Her anxiety was growing with every passing moment, only getting worse after seeing the weapon in his tight fist. Despite growing up in The Narrows, this wasn't anything like that. These men were hardened criminals who did unspeakable things, that's why they were here. So is Jack, but she knew him. He wouldn't hurt her, not the way his underlings might if given the chance.

Seeing the expressions on their faces, it was a truly odd scene to watch. The person she grew up with despised being around people and avoided it whenever necessary. He never wanted to bother with anything that didn't directly involve them. The boy who laid his head on her lap when she was busy reading a book and wanted attention. The one that broke into her room with any little cut, just so she would fuss over it and bandage him up...

...That same person was making grown men cower in his presence. Twirling a steel pipe between his gloved fingers with a sneer across his painted face, he kept pacing back and forth along the row of criminals, narrowing his eye on them.

'This is so weird... Talk about Twilight Zone. What is he doing?'

Suddenly stopping in front of the bald-headed man, Joker leaned in towards his face, shifting his head to the side. That was the person who tried 'escorting' her to the van and was being rough, making her lose those heels she didn't miss. With the clown mostly blocking her view, it was hard to see the man's reaction to the Boss standing barely a foot away from him. She could almost imagine the expression he was making based off the goons standing close by. The Joker wasn't singling them out, but that didn't stop the fear showing on their faces. Maybe they knew that once he got started, things would spiral out of control and suck others into the whirlwind his fury caused.

Without warning, the pipe was smashed against his skull before Sakura realized the clown even moved a muscle. The strike was so quick, she wasn't sure anything happened at first, until the man fell to his knees with a bloodcurdling scream.

"Ahh... Tommy-boy. Ya really need to watch that mouth of yours!" Pulling his arm high over his head, he swung the pipe down again with a grunt, smacking the man down against the ground. He didn't have a chance to defend himself or try to stand with the Joker looming overhead, giving him no quarter.

Sakura's eyes widened, covering her mouth with a purple sleeve to stifle the shout trying to tear through her throat. She should have expected something like this when he hopped out of the van with a steel pipe of all things, but foolishly hoped it would only be used as an intimidation tactic to keep his men in line. Nope... The Joker wasn't currently in the mood for that. He prefers to lead by example, to demonstrate exactly what happens when someone pisses him off for any reason.

"B-Boss!" The man cried out, trying to cover his head with his large arms. That only seemed to make the Joker angrier with a snarl ripping through the night air. No one else moved a muscle or said a word, not wanting to be at the receiving end of his weapon. From where she stood, she could see his knuckles turning white from how hard he was gripping the heavy pipe in his hand.

That was the man who yanked her around earlier, but he couldn't have seen that... Right? Or was this about something else?

"I see everything, dollface. Mhmm. Yes. I. Do."

The pinkette watched in horror as blood ran from his face and head with every rapid blow, unable to move an inch. She wanted to yell, to get him to stop...but couldn't. This wasn't the first, or even second, time he's killed someone in front of her, but this... It was just so vicious... He could have easily shot the man, made it quick and simple. Nope. This was meant to make him suffer, to send a clear message to the others.

The pipe smashed against his face, teeth and blood falling out onto the cement. Bile rose up her throat, seconds away from puking at the sight. This was too much. Her eyes brimmed with hot tears, trying to keep in anything that was attempting to come out.

'I'm going to be sick!'

"HAHAHAAA! Can't talk shit now. Hmm?! That's right! I am a fucking freak and don't you scumbags forget it!" Blood splattered up onto his chest and face as he kept swinging, caving in the man's head. Things Sakura never wanted to see spilled out onto the concrete around Joker's dress shoes and flying up in different directions, splattering on some of the men standing too close. No one moved a muscle, not even when the red fluids decorated their faces.

The blood completely drained from her face watching this horrible sight, but she couldn't bring herself to look away. Was it shock? Disbelief? The small body wrapped in the over-sized coat trembled hard, feeling like her knees were close to giving out at any second. Her chest hurt... Watching him like this made it feel like it was going to collapse in on itself.

Laughing in between his hard breaths, Joker kept at it until there was barely a head there, ignoring the body twitching against the cold ground. Why wouldn't he just stop already? This was madness...

"Ha. Ha. Ha... Such a shame, Tommy-boy! Ya had potential!" Swinging the pipe to shake the gory matter off onto the ground, he panted and started pacing wildly in front of the remaining men frozen in place.

"Anyone else have somethin' to say?! No?! C'mon! Balls to the walls, boys!" Twisting the soaked pipe between his gloved fingers, Sakura shook from watching him. She hasn't seen this side of him before, not since he killed his father... Lost in some manic hysteria with little chance of crawling out on his own. Is this how things are around here? His dark eyes flickered around quickly, turning his head from one side to the other, daring anyone to speak up.

"Let's get one thing very clear! Keep your mouths shut, I hear and see everything that goes on 'round here! Another thing..." Without looking over, he pointed the bloody pipe in her direction, blood dripping onto the ground. "This woman...is mine. No one touches or talks to or about her. No one tries anything funny or goes into our room...and no one sure as hell gets "seconds". Got it?! If any of you try to pull some shit, you'll end up like Tommy-boy here. Un-der-stood?!"

The men nodded furiously, too afraid to speak up. Sakura's jaw dropped even further, not sure how to take this "example" he was giving the group. Despite growing up in The Narrows, this was something she never experienced firsthand. She's heard the stories, noticed people missing or boasting about their exploits, but this was on a totally different scale. This mustn't have been about earlier, but something else entirely. Where did 'seconds' come from? Did he hear that man say something about wanting a turn with her and that's why he's doing this? As a forewarning for any of them that are ballsy enough to try crossing that boundary? Maybe this is how things are done around here an if he doesn't set that line straight, these men will take advantage of it.

"Good! Now that we have an understanding... Make sure you spread the word to the others. She's not hard to miss or mix up with any of your little whores, so I don't wanna hear some bullshit excuse!" His voice alone was terrifying. The one he liked to use in those awful videos he made, harsh and commanding. Sakura couldn't stop shaking and tearing up, trying hard to stifle it down and wiping her face with the sleeve of his coat.

Just this morning, they were laying in bed with him running his fingers through her hair, kissing everything he could, before she got up to make breakfast... And now he was standing over a puddle of blood and brains, threatening a group of criminals. It was hard to see the person she loves do such horrible things.

Joker clearly wasn't done yet when he started swinging the pipe around like a bat. He kept pacing around agitatedly, rolling his head along his bare shoulders. The greasepaint was barely a smear across his face, with the missing parts more than likely rubbed off onto her skin. The scene only worse when he cracked his neck, a picture of madness as he moved around erratically.

'Please, God... Please let him be done!'

"Rocco. Rocco. Rocco..." The man with the Misfits tattoo on his neck was where he stopped suddenly. His gray eyes widened, sweat running down the side of his face. "I'm so disappointed... You were with me the longest. I never took you for a gossiping ol' ninny. Ya know... It's not nice to talk behind people's backs!" A hand lashed out, smacking the large man across the face. Blood from the glove smeared, leaving a messy red handprint.

"If I had feelings, they might've been hurt!" Pointing the pipe towards Rocco's face, he paled in disbelief. The look of a man who knew this would be his final moments. The last goon hadn't seen it coming, probably didn't expect anything of the sort. This one didn't have that luxury. He knew what was going to happen next.

They all did.

Finding some semblance of courage, Sakura ran forward, not knowing what could actually be done. All she knew was that this had to stop. If anyone could try to pull him from the spiraling madness and rage that fueled him, it might be her. Hopefully... Desperately wrapping her sleeved arms around the the clown's scarred torso, his muscles tensed up as he froze. The pinkette could feel how fast his heart was pounding when she pushed her face against his bare back.

"P-Please! Stop!" She didn't know if he was going to be furious with her for trying to stop him from teaching his men a lesson. Without thinking, she just acted, not wanting to see him like this anymore. What was going to happen now? Will he freak out? Would he be enraged thinking that she made him look bad in front of his henchmen? Possibly see it as a betrayal or disrespect? She almost forgot the reason for doing it in the first place when the anxiety took over, trying to eat away at the resolve she managed to muster.

"Sakura..." He growled out, but didn't move. Every muscle in his body was strained, flexing beneath his marred skin. It was like he was trying to resist the urge to lash out, his instincts pushing him to get rid of anything in his way. This was a foolish move to pull when he's in the throws of blood lust, when he's at his most dangerous and unstable. With a flick of his wrist, he could smash her head in with that steel pipe.

"Please, don't kill him... I-I owe him!" The words just flew out without a second thought, reaching for anything that might convince him to let this man go. He didn't seem like a bad guy, despite his appearance. Joker obviously knew him better, must have had some reason to say what he did moments ago.

'What the hell am I doing?'

"You...owe him?!" Joker spun around incredulously, eyes wild and brows raised up high on his forehead. With him towering over her, the pinkette couldn't help feeling impossibly small in comparison to his high large stature. Despite everything that happened, Sakura tried hard to fight the fear coursing through her body. Just telling him 'no' wasn't a good enough answer, that's for sure... If he bowed his head and relented because she 'said so', it would make him look weak in front of all these hardened men, like he was whipped.

"That's right. Last week, when I was in The Narrows... He stepped in when someone was haggling me...and-" Green eyes shifted towards the corpse on the ground. "When this guy was yanking me around by my arm and made me lose my heels, Rocco hit him. He was good to me..." It wasn't really a lie... She just hadn't mentioned that it was Rocco himself who'd done the haggling.

Dark eyes narrowed down on Sakura, giving the pinkette the feeling like they really could see right through her. It took every ounce of strength not to back down or retreat, trying to remember this was Jack standing over her. She needed to have a spine and a voice. Otherwise, he was going to completely lose himself.

The greasepaint on his face was completely smeared, the black circled around his eyes webbing out further than usual. His faded green, sweaty hair even more wild than in the back of the van. The blood splattered on his chest and face made him look more demon, than man. No wonder his men were absolutely terrified. Who wouldn't be scared to see a mad, shirtless clown, covered in blood and pacing in front of them with a steel pipe, covered in someone's brains?

Sakura could see the wheels turning in his head while he picked her words apart. His eyes narrowed into slits, mulling over his options and deciding what to do next. For all she knew, he already knew about everything. It almost seemed like he really could see and hear everything, the way he always claimed to. The side of his scarred mouth twitched, lips curling up at the internal debate he was having with himself. When the muscles in his face started to relax, the pinkette felt the knotting in her chest begin to unravel. Seeing the fire in those black orbs cool off-even just a hair-made the lump in her throat lessen slightly. Breathing in deeply, Joker closed his eyes and let his head fall back, rolling his shoulders to work some of the tension out.

'Is he...trying to calm down?'

Pursing his lips and looking back down at Sakura, he clicked his tongue in annoyance, throwing the steel pipe over her head towards the vans. The pinkette could have cried in relief at the crooked grin stretching across his mouth, seeing his mood swinging to the far left. Compared to moments ago, it was a welcome reprieve.

"HAHAHAHA!" Wrapping his bare arm around her shoulders, he laughed as a droplet of blood fell from his chin and ran down his chest. Sakura grimaced at the sight, not understanding how none of this could really faze him, just like the cold. Blood and guts really didn't bother him at all. If anything, it only fed into the frenzy he found himself in. "C'mon, dollface. I still have some things I wanna show ya..."

'Thank GOD!'

The only thing she could hope for now, was that whatever he wanted to show her wasn't part of the "lessons" he was trying to teach her. Well... If it was anything like the one earlier, perhaps that wouldn't be so bad...

Joker yanked her closer as he started walking away, pushing her forward to go with him. The pinkette glanced towards the gray-eyed man, who looked on in disbelief at what just happened. The expression he gave her said more than words could ever hope to. A mix between being grateful and full of desperation. They all knew the Joker was about to bash his head in, but there he is, still breathing.

After a few steps, Joker froze, stopping Sakura with the grip around her shoulders. Turning his head towards the men, a malicious smile pulled at the corners of his ruined mouth.

"Rocco..."

"Y-Yes, Boss!" The man stood ramrod straight, suddenly becoming nervous again now that the clown's attention wasn't completely focused on the woman next to him..

"Just so ya know... This doesn't make you two even. Don't forget tha-t. You know better than anyone that I don't give second chances. Remember this- You owe this woman your life..." Dark eyes narrowed as he turned away, leaving the men to finish their jobs. Tugging on the purple coat wrapped around the pinkette, he trudged along, not loosening the grip on her shoulders.