Disclaimer:I do not own any Batman Begins/Dark Knight characters. All other characters are mine.
The Joker was sitting, stock-still, in the holding cage at MCU.
A guard near the entrance was riffling through the objects found in his position, namely a series of razor-sharp switchblades. He gently placed the knives along a metal bench and picked up the final object, very much unlike the others.
"What's this?"
He turned the pearl earring in his gloved fingers and held it up to the light, it shone dimly.
"Careful with that." Joker's soft reply was barely audible over the Holding Cell's general chorus of sounds. "It's…one of a kind."
The guard smirked, sliding it into his pocket.
"Is it now?"
Joker remained seated and didn't flinch. Despite his running makeup, his torn and dirtied clothes; there was an odd dignity to his calm.
"Stand away! All of you. I don't want anything for his mob lawyer to use, understand?"
Gordon entered the room with an escort of policemen, he was directly addressing the security guards who were eyeing Joker resentfully, batons held at the ready. Gordon approached the cage with slow and deliberate footsteps, Joker glanced up at him, rubbing his hands together.
"We found her," Gordon was a few feet from Joker's sitting bench. "I don't know why you took Morgan, and I don't know what you did to her but you will pay for your crimes. She's safe, and you're going to county."
Joker chewed on the inside of his cheek, hiding a smile behind his stagnant expression.
"It's not her safety I would worry about." He murmured, blinking up at him innocently.
When Cat woke up, the moon was barely glinting through the early sky and fine drops of rain peppered the large, glass window.
The room was lit with yellow, low hanging light, giving her surroundings an odd and shadowy appearance.
"Can you hear me?" Someone above her called, and a small flashlight was directed into her eyes.
"Response is looking good. How's the pulse?"
"30 bpm, could use some adrenaline."
She felt a pinch in her outer thigh as a needle entered her skin and her heart began to beat faster, giving her the energy to sit upright.
"Whoa," The doctor grabbed her arm to stop her rapid movements. "Slow down, you're safe."
Cat stared at the faces, the man had neat red hair that curled behind his ears, the woman had a dark complexion and coils of black hair pulled back into a bun.
"I'm Doctor Walker, this is Nurse Bradwin." She nodded at the man beside her, who waved in response. "Now the officers are going to want to ask you a few questions, but we'll make sure you're okay first."
They were talking to her like she was a child, and scurrying around her with the medical equipment like she wanted their help. Cat looked down at the makeshift table she was lying on, a drip was tethered to her forearm and bandages were wrapped securely over what she assumed was a chest of stitches.
"Clothes?" She demanded, feeling slightly exposed in just her underwear. Doctor Walker nodded at a nearby office chair, where a small pile of neatly folded clothes sat.
"We found some old police uniforms, you can borrow these until we get you to the hospital. Commissioner Gordon wanted to keep you safe until that 'Joker' could be moved to county."
This caught Cat's attention, she slowly pulled the drip from her arm.
"And where's he keeping Joker?"
"Don't do that," Nurse Bradwin pulled her hands away from the drip. "He's in the holding cells, downstairs, don't worry, we have you under maximum security."
Cat cocked her head, subtly wrapping her fingers around a nearby scalpel.
"That won't hold him," She muttered darkly. "Or me."
Jim Gordon pushed through the swarm of detectives at MCU.
They were all crowding around the observation room, where the Joker could be seen through the glass window sitting patiently at the interrogation desk.
"Has he said anything?"
Gordon turned to officer Ramirez, who shook her head grimly. He pushed open the heavy door and entered the room. The Joker was shrouded in darkness, the white light of the desk lamp illuminating his face in a grisly way.
"Evening, Commissioner." He held the 'r' in a satirical way, nodding respectfully.
Gordon sat on the adjacent steel chair and intertwined his fingers.
"Harvey Dent never made it home."
The Joker seemed surprised at this comment, and innocently swung his arms beside his chair.
"Of course not."
"What have you done with him?"
Once again, he appeared stunned. "Me?" Joker's gaze flitted around the room. "I was right here." He lifted his arms to make a point and jangled his handcuffs in Gordon's face.
The Commissioner stared past his bloodstained fingers, the accusing look not falling from his eyes.
"Who did you leave him with?" Joker pointed at Gordon and raised his eyebrows. "Hm? Your people? Assuming, of course, that they still are your people and not Maroni's." He ran his tongue over his lips and glanced over Gordon's shoulder. "Does it depress you, Commissioner, to know how alone you really are?"
He stared the psychopath down, his figure immovable.
"Does it make you feel responsible for Harvey Dent's current predicament."
"Where is he?"
"What's the time?" The Joker remained, ever innocent, eager to help the distraught Commissioner.
"What difference does that make?" Gordon raised his eyes to the ceiling in exasperation.
"Well, depending on the time," Joker motioned with his hands. "He may be in one spot or several." He licked his lips again and smiled at Gordon, who pulled a silver key from his pocket.
"Why did you want Morgan? Why'd you let us get to her? -Oh, don't give me that," Gordon waved his hand at Joker's hurt expression. "I know we wouldn't've found her if you hadn't wanted us to. So, what's the catch?"
"Catch?" Joker asked, biting his bottom lip. "I think the catch is; you think too much Commissioner. You want everything to have a reason, a motive. Did you ever consider that the 'Caterina Morgan' you know and love was never found?"
Gordon was taken back by this, and slowly unlocked Joker's handcuffs.
"If we're going to play games, I'm going to need a cup of coffee."
He stood up and made for the door, the slight droop of his shoulders surrendering his weariness.
"And a new medical team." Joker sang across the room, grinning wildly. Gordon made no reply, and left the Joker to sit in silence.
The overhead lights blinked to life, filling the room with blinding fluorescent light. Joker was disorientated for a few moments in the harsh glare and didn't hear footsteps behind him.
With a sickening crack, Batman slammed the Joker's head into the desk and stepped around to face him, while Joker clicked his jaw.
"Never start with the head, the victim gets all fuzzy, can't feel the next-."
Batman's fist crashed onto his left hand and flattened his fingers into the steel table. He flinched, but otherwise showed no signs of feeling pain.
"See?" Joker opened his eyes again and gloated to Batman.
"You wanted me. Here I am."
"I wanted to see what you'd do, and you didn't disappoint." Joker checked his forehead for blood, before regarding the vigilante seriously. "You let five people die, one poor girl get captured. Then you let Dent take your place. Even to a guy like me, that's cold."
Batman reached across the desk, pulling Joker to him by the scruff of his shirt. "Where's Dent?"
"You have all these rules and you think they'll save you?"
Batman plastered him to the nearby wall, his feet dangling above the ground.
"I have one rule." Batman growled, his forearm forcefully pushing against Joker's throat.
"Oh. Then that's the rule you're going to have to break to learn the truth."
"Which is?"
Joker struggled under Batman's hold, trying to pry his arm from his windpipe.
"The only sensible way to live is without rules. And tonight you're gonna' break your one rule."
"I'm considering it." He laughed at Batman's threat, the smug expression never faltering.
"There are only minutes left, so you'll have to play my game, if you want to save one of them." He finished with relish and grinned again.
"Them?"
"You know, for a while there, I thought you really were Dent. The way you threw yourself after her-" Deranged laughter bounced off the walls as Batman dropped the Joker, wrenched his ankle over his head and flipped him onto the desk. Joker groaned slightly, while Batman pulled a bolted-down chair from the ground and wedged it under the door handle, blocking Gordon's entry.
"Look at you go!" He had blood running down from his nose and forehead, his makeup was blurred and fading; but Joker was smiling like he'd won the lottery.
The Batman stormed up to him, grasping the back of his head, and hurled him into the two-way glass. It splintered, thin cracks spidering across the surface.
"Killing is making a choice." Joker smiled up at him from the floor and licked his lips, only to receive a sharp blow to the cheek.
"Where are they!?" Batman's anger only seemed to feed Joker's resolve, and each blow widened his smile.
"Choose between one life or another. Your friend, the district attorney, or his blushing-bride-to-be."
Another punch landed on his temple. Joker began to laugh maniacally, until the laughs seemed to blur the line between hysterics and sobbing.
"You have nothing to threaten me with," He had tears streaming down his eyes, but the smile remained the one thing unbroken. "Nothing to do with all your strength. I'm untouchable."
As if this sparked a thought, Batman lifted Joker off the ground and shoved him against the wall again.
"You're wrong." His voice was low and drenched in hostility. "You screwed up, gave yourself a weakness, the only flaw in your little scheme."
Joker frowned at him, quizzically, chewing on his lip.
"I didn't see before how you could resemble a man, but it's obvious to me now. Tell me where they are or my next target…will be Caterina Morgan."
Finally, his smile was broken. The laughter cut off mid-air and his face contorted into a scowl. "What are you talking about?"
Batman flicked a switch on his brace, several sharp knives jutted out from the mechanism.
"Don't make the mistake of thinking," Batman leaned close, his voice hoarse. "That when I find her I'll show that murderer any form of mercy."
The two of them were caught in a glower, challenging their resolve.
"Dent's at 250 52nd Boulevard. And Rachel's on avenue X at Cicero." Joker finally said, licking his lips and pulling at Batman's grip.
Batman lowered him to the floor and stormed from the room, his cape billowing out behind him.