A/N - Hello everyone! Thank you for giving this new piece of mine a moment of your attention! For those who have never read my stories, welcome! This is my first time writing a Batman/DCU fanfiction so I hope you like it!

Disclaimer - All the characters, except Riley, belong to their respectful creators.

WHY SO SERIOUS?

Prologue

Three months earlier...

Blood was everywhere.

Red splatters adorned the floors, the ceilings and the walls. Shattered glass glistened under the blinding lights of the police cars. There was a lot of smoke as well; what from the blaze, what from the gunshots. Mixed in were distant shouts, screams, yelps and cries, all chilling, all ominous.

To someone else, this would've been a paralyzing sight straight out of a horror movie. For her, this was a chance for escape.

Once the fire alarm went off and the bulletproof glass of her cell slid open, Riley walked into the hallway and made her way out.

She cared little for the ongoing war in the hallways, focusing solely on her own escape. Faster, she repeated to herself. Faster, faster. Yet, her sore ankle could hardly keep up with the pace she imposed. She tried to ignore the pain but it was becoming unbearable. Just a bit further, she said to herself. Freedom never tasted sweeter to her.

It was addicting.

As she made her way downstairs, a sudden cackle was heard coming from the hallway on the left. It was an all too familiar sound, followed by a thunderous, high-pitched laughter. Riley stopped and looked at its source.

Sickly grey skin, dull green hair and blood red smile. Typical orange prisoner pants lay low on his hips and his chest was bare, numerous scars adorning its surface. The man was in a frenzy, hitting a cop with a brick. Blood was all over him: across his face, his neck and torso. Droplets slid down his abdomen and a pool of blood was already forming at his feet.

After a few moments, he stopped hitting the officer. He threw the brick aside and ran a hand through his tousled hair. It didn't take him long to notice that he was no longer alone and his green orbs met Riley's grey. She never grew accustomed to the intensity of his glare, even after spending so much time in his presence.

As for his typical cheshire grin, it still sent chills down her spine.

"Hello there" he said. "Why so serious?"

She swallowed the lump in her throat. Her lips were dried up and she found it difficult to speak. She knew she had to say something or the Clown would kill her on the spot.

"Cat got your tongue, girl" he asked.

He made one step towards her, then two. After the third, he was standing in front of her. She forgot how tall he actually is; towering over her smaller frame. She felt her legs quiver as fear crept into her heart, clouding her senses. She no longer saw him or the blood nor did she register the cacophony of screams that echoed in the dark.

She went numb.

The Clown started to laugh again, his insanity ever present, ever obvious. Riley tried to breathe but she couldn't control her body as panic began to overpower her will.

This is the end, she thought to herself.

"Please…" she managed to whisper. "Please, let me go…"

He chuckled. "I could but where's the fun in that?"

As he continued to laugh, Riley tried to calm her rapidly beating heart and clear her thoughts. Get a grip, she told herself. Get a grip, get a grip, get a grip!

"I will do whatever you want" she said, her voice uneven. "I beg you, just let me get out of here…"

The man stopped laughing and looked at the girl, observing her quietly. He cocked his head to the side, running his gaze over her person. He seemed to have been thinking for a short while before smirking deviously.

"Alright" he said. "I'll get you out - and then, you will make good on your promise."

At the time, she didn't care for the consequences of her words or actions. She didn't care that she became a fugitive. She didn't care that she was in the same league as the other criminals of Gotham. She didn't care that she more or less sold her very being to the Devil's incarnate. She didn't care that she let down everyone who tried to help her recover. She didn't care that she became a target.

She didn't care for any of it because it was then that Riley began a new chapter in her life; the one of freedom or so she believed...