The Joker's Princess

*Chapter Two*

The Edge of Gotham City-Escape Van

The whole ride was spent in silence. My arms wrapped around my body tightly as I try to rationalize the situation I was currently in. The Joker sat in front of me, his eyes staring intensely at me, and I squirmed uncomfortably.

His fingers tap against one another; the sound of his elastic gloves was the only real audible thing in the van. Two of his henchmen sat beside him, their ugly clown mask glaring at me, yet I couldn't tell if they were indeed looking at me.

I look back at the Joker, and his lips turn up into a smile. "So, my Princess, enjoying the ride?"

My mouth forms a firm line, and I glare at him. "Really? Are you seriously asking that?!"

He cackles and nudges his men, who awkwardly sit there. "You hear that, boys? So much, sass! In such a pretty little girl," he leans forward and licks his lips. "I'm going to have fun with you," his voice turns dark, and his dark brown eyes seem to bore deeply into mine.

My soulmark began to itch, and I felt like ants were crawling up and down my body. I tried not to show how he affected my body because I knew that's exactly what he wanted. I settled for leaning back against the van wall and crossing my arms and legs.

The ride continues for a few more minutes before it suddenly came to a halt. I wasn't prepared for the stop, and I ended up flying forward and onto the van floor. "Owe," I mutter, pushing myself back up. Above me, I hear a growl, and a pair of strong arms help me up.

"Damn driver," The Joker grumbles angrily. "You okay, doll?"

I accepted his help on instinct, and once I was fully upright again, I pushed him away firmly. "I'm fine," I mumble through my teeth.

The door to the back opens up to reveal two more clown masks. The Joker grabs a bag and hands it to me. "Put this over your face."

I look at him in disbelief. "Are you-."

His eyes flash darkly. "I am not crazy."

I narrow my eyes. "I was going to say insane."

"Call me what you want; the bag goes over your face." The tone in his voice meant he wasn't joking, and I grab the bag reluctantly. I place it over my head, and I soon heard the sound of a diluted gunshot, and a body hit the floor. I jumped; it must have been the driver. With my body tense, I feel myself being lifted up into his arms. I hold onto him tightly, ignoring the feeling of content my body seemed to produce. My mind, on the other hand, was on high alert, my ears trying to pick up on anything that could tell me where I was.

As he walked, I could hear the faint roar of a train; great, we could be anywhere in Gotham. I hear the sound of doors opening, and his footsteps became louder as his heels hit against what I could guess was wooden floors.

I feel his body start walking up the stairs, and I was surprised at how well he carried me. I was at least 140 lbs, and he wasn't even breathing heavy. We finally arrived at the top, and he walked a few more feet before another door was opened. Once he walked through it, I felt my body be lowered to the ground.

"Welcome to your new home!" I felt the bag being ripped from my head and I braced myself to see an ugly scary room.

I slowly opened my eyes and was surprised to see a modern apartment. There was a small kitchen, living space, and two doors. I would assume we're a bedroom and bathroom. The floor was wooden, and the furniture was simple yet completely furnished.

The only thing that was weird about the place was that there were no windows. My mouth drops open. Was this really where he lived?

He must have seen my surprised expression because he let out a giggle. "Surprised, princess? What did you expect? Torture devices?"

I scowl at him. "I didn't expect it to be so normal," I say honestly.

He walks towards me and I begin to back away. His eyes seemed to burn intensely into mine, and I kept backing up until my back hit the wall. He kept moving forward, and I couldn't help but feel the anxiety swirl in my stomach as his body moved closer to me. His grease face paint gave him a scary image, and his deep dark eyes held so much mystery. I couldn't look away from them, as they felt as if they kept me in a trace.

He was so close now, and I could feel his breath wash over me. It was surprisingly minty. "W-why did you take me?" I manage to stutter out, my eyes fluttering.

His scared red lips turn up into a slight grin. "My dear, you know the answer to that." His hand comes up and wraps around my back, bringing me forward to him.

My hands come up to press against his chest. "There's no way we are soulmates. You have been mistaken!"

Hurt flashed across his face, but it was gone, replaced with a glare as soon as it was there. "Is this a mistake?" He reaches up and pulls off his glove before reaching down and touching my face. The feeling of electricity surged through my cheek and down to every inch of my body. Waves of pleasure wracked my body, and it was the best feeling I have ever experienced. My soul mark throbs on my neck, and my hand comes up to grip his tightly. His eyes soften, and I could tell he could feel it too. "That is not a mistake."

I close my eyes. This could not be happening! How on earth could I be the mate of this criminal and murderer. Is he even capable of love? But I couldn't deny how my body reacted to him. I couldn't deny how complete I felt after feeling his skin touch mine. His hand was warm and smooth, a few calluses here and there, probably from hard work.

I open my eyes, and I could feel a slight tear fall from them. His thumb catches the tear. "Why? I don't understand. Why are you like this?" I reach up to touch his face, and he cringes away.

His face hardens, and his lips curl up in a grimace instead of a smile. "The world made me like this. And I don't plan on changing. Even forum...you." The words stung, but it was expected.

He suddenly turns on his heels, his purple coat fanning out around him. He puts his glove back on and rolls his shoulders back while clearing his throat. "This is your home now, so make yourself comfortable. If you take a step outside the uh, door here," he motions with his hand in a pulling a trigger motion. "I'll kill a random civilian."

I paled at the thought of being responsible for an innocent person's life before turning my gaze into a heated glare. "You are a monster," I snapped, crossing my arms.

"Call me what you want, sweetheart! You're stuck with me," he calls back before opening the door and, without a second look at me, walks out and slams the door. The sound of the lock clicked, and I wanted nothing more than to bang against the door and yell after him. But his warning lingered in my mind, I thought against it.

Instead, I settled for scoping out the rest of the room. There was no way that this madman lived here. It was too simple, too plain, for it to be the living space of the newly named clown prince of crime. I made my way to the kitchen and opened all the drawers to find some sort of knife or even a fork. They were all empty, which confirmed my suspension.

The fridge was also empty, and so was the pantry. I leave the kitchen and make my way to one of the other doors. The first one turned out to be a closet, but the second one led to a bedroom. It was a queen-size bed that was entirely made, and the sheets looked unused. The bedroom had the bathroom attached to it, and it also looked untouched.

There was no way this was the Joker's room, so he must have put me in another space. Then it dawned on me; he wasn't expecting me, so he didn't prepare to have me. He probably had hundreds of weapons stashed in his room, and it would be stupid to keep a captive there. But then...could I hurt my soul mate?

The soulmate bond was a precious yet tricky phenomenon in the human world. Some were gifted with a life partner who would love you unconditionally, while others saw it as a curse, either from not having one or having their mate die before them. Most people didn't live long after their mate unless they had children to look after; even then, they struggled with the reality of being alone.

Some refused to let their soul marks define them, and some travel the world to find their soulmate. There were a few guidelines that the mark gave a person.

Whoever bared your symbol would love you unconditionally and would be considered your mate for life.

It is impossible to hurt your soulmate on free will physically.

The first step of the soulmate bond was to make contact, the second is a kiss, and the final step was to engage in intercourse.

I shuttered at the thought of the last two. I was still a virgin, and the idea of the Joker intimately touching me sent nervous waves through me.

I looked at the wall where I could picture a window would be. I walked closer, and with a final inspection, I noticed that the wall was recently done. He must have covered the windows. Did that mean he's had others here before?

For some reason, my blood froze at the thought of him having another soul mate. Instinctively, jealousy filled my veins, and I clenched my fist to push that feeling away. Multiple soul mates did happen, although I could never imagine having to share.

I shake my head; my thoughts were ridiculous. This crazy thug just kidnaped me, and my latest concern was not wanting to share him? How stupid am I?

I turned away from the wall and continued my further inspection. The lights in the apartment were all on, and I could already tell that I would go crazy in here. Without a trace of the time or whether it was day or night, I could already tell my schedule would be all out of whack.

Walking out of the bedroom, I make my way back from the door. I needed to find a way to escape, a way to get help. I press my ear against the door and listened carefully; I could hear the sound of pants shuffling together along with a soft pair of footsteps walking back and forth. I rolled my eyes; he must have had one of his goons guarding the door.

Excellent, without any windows and being guarded, my only hope was that someone would find me.

And who knew where we were. I might as well get used to being here for a while.