A/N: Beta'd by Glow593!
"Doctor, is she going to be okay? Please, be honest..."
Tasha can hear Ino's worried voice when she comes to. It only takes a few seconds to realize where they are.
The hospital...
"Well, I don't think there's any room for serious concern... Does she have any family? I would like to speak with them and gather more information. There isn't much here in her medical records, which is very strange. Usually, there would at least be vaccination records from childhood or something... I'd venture to say from the lack of paperwork that whoever her parents are weren't very… forthcoming … with having their daughter in the system. Well, I suppose that it's not too out of the ordinary when you consider the city we're in..."
The doctor lets out a deep sigh, sounding exasperated. The pinkette can hear him shifting through papers, muttering about how unusual people in Gotham are compared to Midway.
"Hmm... Interesting. This city is very different from where we came from. Both of us recently moved here from Tokyo in the last month. Well, I came here first, then she moved here a few weeks after that. It seems like no one wants to cooperate with the police or even medical professionals. I get there's a lot of crime here, but come on! A citizen has to help protect where they live as much as anyone else!" The blonde shakes her head, tapping her foot in agitation with the whole situation.
"W-Well, Miss... It's been that way for some time now. Everyone became that way out of fear. If someone sees something that doesn't involve them, they normally turn the other way. There have been countless times when people have gotten themselves hurt or their families harmed from stepping in or speaking out... To most people, it just doesn't seem worth it. No one wants to get themselves or their loved ones killed..."
"...I get it, but someone needs to have some balls. Well... I guess I can't judge. It's not like I've been in their shoes." A knock on the door makes both of them freeze. Tasha quietly listens, not feeling up to revealing she is conscious just yet.
At the moment, the pain in her head has dulled to a mild headache. It's far better than the piercing agony from before. Is that what it would feel like to be shot in the head? She thought her skull was going to burst open at the time. Even that might have felt better than what happened...
Either way... There's no doubt if she got up now, the two people standing near the foot of the bed would start interrogating her about what happened.
What did happen?
'I got something to eat... Watched a couple like a creep... Bank robbery... Bus... Clown — fucking clown!'
Remembering walking down the street and seeing that crazed man almost causes Tasha to jump out of her skin. It wasn't a dream like she hoped. That really happened...
Biting down on her lip, she tries to stifle the groan trying to force its way out. The dull throb starts to intensify again as she dredges up everything that happened. That maniac hysterically laughing, after gunning down an innocent man. The driver was only having a small case of road rage. To shoot a person for something so small... What a complete mental case.
'Shit... Shit... Shit! That psycho is going to kill me.'
The pinkette cannot help remembering what he had said... "Don't worry dollface. It's, uh, not your time yet. See ya later!" It wasn't a threat, but a promise.
'See ya later!... What a psycho! Is he going to come and kill me? All over that? Why didn't he just do it right there? It would have been a lot easier... He already killed the driver and had a gun out. Did he use up the clip and couldn't reload?'
Trying to recall everything that happened, the man that helped her mentioned something about the Joker causing trouble on 5th Ave. That's the same street where the bank robbery occurred.
'That's the Joker? Huh... I expected him to look a bit older for some reason...'
Silently lamenting her own misfortune, she can't help laughing bitterly on the inside. People claim she brings good luck wherever she goes. How ironic is it that she now brought herself the worst kind imaginable?
Tasha vaguely registers a new voice in the room as she groans from the pain gnawing at the sides of her skull. It's tolerable in comparison to what happened on the street.
A deep voice resonates through the room, distracting her. That voice... Bruce is here. Why? Did Ino call to let him know what happened? Why did he come all the way here, just for something insignificant like this?
"From the MRI scan, it looks like a possible side effect from an old injury of some sort. See this here? It shows there has been some trauma to the head. It must have happened a while ago from the way it healed... Nothing recent from what I can tell. Strange... There isn't anything in her records about it. There's a surprisingly large amount of medical history omitted from her file. If we can even call it that."
That old story... Tasha doesn't care to talk about it or give it a second thought. It's not like she can remember it anyway. That in itself might be a godsend, to be honest. It's thanks to whatever happened that she's been able to start over and leave the city in the first place. Whatever happened before that no longer matters. If something is important enough, it'll eventually come back. Right?
So far, it's been seven years and nothing's resurfaced. No memories, no faces or names… just… nothing. Truth be told, the pinkette doesn't want to remember... It probably can't have been anything good.
Tasha can still recall the day she woke up in the hospital. The pain had been excruciating. She had been in and out of consciousness for days on end before that. The doctors would just load her up on painkillers and sedatives to let her sleep.
From what she has been told, the accident happened in one of the worst neighborhoods in Gotham. The Narrows... One of the areas the police quit bothering with some time ago. Many of the apartment buildings there have been abandoned by their owners, leaving squatters and addicts to take shelter in most of them.
A few of the buildings were owned by the late Thomas and Martha Wayne. After they were tragically gunned down in an alleyway during a robbery gone wrong, no one seems to care what happens to those places anymore. Bruce had technically inherited that small stretch of hell, but whether he knew it or even cared at the time was anyone's guess. After losing his parents that way at such a young age, and inheriting a billion-dollar company, that was probably the last thing on his mind.
Whether by a stroke of luck or coincidence, Bruce had come into the hospital during that time for a meeting with the director. After hearing that a young girl was found on the sidewalk outside of a building he legally owns, the billionaire set her up to start over. There was no family to be found, no previous records, no knowledge of a home, no knowledge of who she even was. No one knew what to do with her at the time, leaving her in limbo, until he stepped in.
That's the first time she remembers meeting Bruce Wayne...
Perhaps he could see a bit of himself in her or just felt sympathetic... At that point, they were both technically orphans, but he still helped her. He paid the hospital bills, set her up to go to school, and live in a safe area outside of Gotham.
Bruce gave her a new life and rarely ever asks for anything in return. The man even refused any repayment when she was able to make a living on her own. After she moved to Japan, he would check up on her and did his best to help out in any way, to assist in the new life she was trying to build for herself. Only once had he ever really asked for anything...
It was a few weeks ago. Bruce had contacted her while she was in Tokyo, asking if she could return to Gotham and help Wayne Enterprises as an interpreter. It couldn't be helped... He insisted on her being the one to do it. In one of their meetings, the previous interpreter had made a grievous mistake and offended Mr. Hiroshi in some irreparable way. Bruce and his associates couldn't fix the situation. They didn't even understand what happened that made the older man so livid. The men who accompanied the businessman tried to explain in broken English why he was refusing to talk to him. Bruce still doesn't know what caused such a scene in the first place.
The wealthy Japanese businessman refused another meeting until it was mentioned that Tasha would be the one assisting them. They had met in Japan a few times before, while she worked as an interpreter. The older man already knows he will be in good hands. That, and he's a total pervert... It's easier to get him to agree to transactions when someone's easy on the eyes. However, the man's no fool. He won't just accept any offer. Tasha understands that and tries to work things out to the benefit of both parties. If she lets clients fall into ruin due to her words or actions, that'll only harm her reputation.
"Doctor, could I speak to you in the hallway?" Bruce's voice breaks the pinkette from her thoughts. What does he want to talk to the doctor about in the hallway, that he can't say in front of her or Ino?
"Of course, Mr. Wayne..." The two men quietly step out of the room. As the door closes behind them, Tasha hears her friend shifting closer to her.
"So... Are you done pretending to be asleep?" The blonde chuckles, taking a seat on the edge of the bed.
With a drawn-out sigh, Tasha sits up begrudgingly, throwing her friend an annoyed look. Does she always have to know what she's up to?
"How are you feeling? I heard you took a nasty fall on the street. Are you okay? That's not like you... Running around barefoot with your heels in hand... Was someone chasing you or something? Did one of those thugs try to mug you?!" Ino clenches her fist as she stands up with her pretty face twisting in anger. "These bastards around here, I swear!"
"Calm down... It's nothing serious." That's a lie. It's serious — very serious. "I just… saw some crazy shit on 5th Ave on the way home... Wanted to get out of there, before the police came."
Blue eyes widen as she stares at the pinkette in shock. Her jaw drops, waving her hands around in exaggeration, before gripping the sides of her face. The blonde always did have a flair for being overly dramatic...
"Are you talking about the robbery at the bank?! You know that was the Joker's doing, right? Five people died and the manager's in critical condition, because of that maniac! He even shot a poor defenseless bus driver. I'm just glad there weren't any kids there." She shudders at the thought, wrapping her arms around herself.
Tasha watches her friend's horror-stricken face as she imagines small children happily talking on a bus, then suddenly being riddled with bullets. Would kids being onboard have stopped the clown? Did he even know if there was anyone else there, or not? Is he that much of a monster?
"What a psycho! I don't understand why that Bat-guy doesn't just kill him..."
The Bat… Batman ... Very little is known about the caped crusader. Sightings of him are rare to those who aren't involved in criminal activity. It's a well-known fact he refuses to kill others, even if they're trying to take him out.
"It's simple, Ino. The Bat has a different moral compass than most. Even vigilantes have their own rules they won't cross, just like most people. If he did what other people would do, what would make him any different?" The pinkette says as a matter-of-fact, wagging her finger back and forth.
'Although, it would be easier to just kill them. Every time he throws someone in Blackgate or Arkham Asylum, it seems like they just end up escaping soon after... At least that's what the articles I read about Gotham said before I moved.'
"...Whatever. Just seems like it causes more trouble to keep them alive than to just be done with it. Well, what do I know? It's not like I can understand either side." Shifting her head to the side, Ino leans in when she notices the pinkette staring absentmindedly off towards the wall. "Ne... Tasha? Maybe you should tell the police about what you saw? It might help their invest-"
"No." Ino's eyes widen, craning her head back in surprise. She doesn't understand what's going on. Sometimes the blonde's a bit naive about authority and what comes along with it. Always thinking everything's either black or white, without realizing the large gray area in between.
Bolting straight up on the bed, Tasha lets out a shaky breath. Her hands shoot up towards her head, cradling it gingerly when the throbbing starts up again. A grimace spreads over her face as she sucks in a sharp breath, trying to calm herself down.
"Are you okay? Should I- Should I get the doctor?"
Looking up and seeing the expression on the blonde's face, she tries to gather her bearings. It'll be easier to wave it off like nothing's wrong than dealing with their reactions. The last thing she wants is having anyone fret over this... They already took an MRI and said it was likely from the old injury, so what else can be done? Just give her a bunch of pain medication? No thanks...
"But... Why not? Isn't our job to assist when we can?" Thankfully, Ino's quick on the uptake, picking up what she's putting down. She can sense that Tasha doesn't want to talk about it or bring the doctor back in. After all, she heard what the older man had said too.
"Ino. No... This is Gotham, not Tokyo. You know what happens to rats or people who say too much. I'm not getting involved and I suggest you keep what we talked about just between us... For both of our sakes." It's not an empty threat. There are so many crime lords and gangs, it isn't even funny. People that speak out end up being thrown from the docks with a cement block tied to their feet... If they're lucky. There are worse things in life than death. If someone has luck on their side, they will be quickly shot dead, before anything else happens to them. A fast death in Gotham is considered being merciful. That's one of the few things she's always been told about this place.
'Maybe I should have turned Bruce down and not come back... I guess I really couldn't. He wants my help and has gone above and beyond for me. This is the least I can do for him in return for his kindness. Although, it might end up costing me my life now...'
'I- I see... Okay, just forget it. Let's talk about something else... Oh!" A mischievous smile creeps across the blonde's face as she turns back to her friend. Tasha arches a brow, wondering what the hell she's thinking about.
"What? What is it?"
"That man who brought you in..." Ino sighs, twirling around with her arms spread out and her face turning a cute shade of pink. "He was so handsome! Ahh... Such a beautiful man! Of course, I already have Sai, but you-"
"Stop. I couldn't care less... Actually, I care even less than two seconds ago..." A horror-stricken Ino grabs her chest, like the words alone, strike her right through the heart.
"How- How could you?! A gorgeous man happens to walk into your life and you act like you don't even care? He said that no one else bothered helping you! A beautiful man like that, and he's compassionate?! In this city! Oh, Kami-sama... Something good had to come out of something so terrible." She spins around again, clasping her hands together and already daydreaming of the "romantic" encounter.
"Knock it off. Get real. He was just doing the right thing. Any decent human being would do the same." Why can't she just act like a normal person, instead of a boy-crazy teenager? All Ino ever goes on about is mushy crap or trying to set people up, like some matchmaker from hell.
"Not in this city, Tasha. Tsk, tsk." Waving a finger, the blonde's face lit up as images and scenarios ran through her mind. Tasha doesn't understand it. What's the big deal? The man deserves a thank you, but that's all. What's Ino expecting? That she should go off and marry someone because they helped her out? How ridiculous...
'Tch. What a hopeless woman...'
"Not only did he save you, but he ran all the way to the hospital with you in his arms. That's not easy to go that far holding dead weight! He stayed here for hours until the doctor told him that you would be fine. Oh!" Reaching in her pocket, she pulls out a small piece of paper that had been folded up. "Before he left, he gave me this to give you. It's that cutie's name and number. Hyeejin Choi, hmm... I was right. He is Korean."
Tasha sighs and rolls over. This doesn't matter. None of it does. Fate? Ha! Ridiculous...
"Oh, come on Tasha! Doesn't it sound romantic? A wonderful story you could tell your kids and grandchildren? A handsome stranger saves you from the side of the road Ah, this is so inspiring! Maybe I'll get back to work writing my stories. This is exactly what I needed!" Although she works for a large bank, the woman always dreams of being a romance writer.
'She sure has the imagination for it... Christ...'
"I'm not interested! Would you quit it already? I have more important things to worry about." There's no room in her heart for such trivial things. The image of the couple walking down the street earlier comes to the forefront of her mind, making her chest ache again.
'No, I don't have time for shit like that...'
"Men and love aren't important?" A dark look sweeps over Ino's face. For a second, Tasha suddenly becomes worried about the blonde. She always takes these things so seriously. "Then perhaps it's not men you want, but… maybe a woman?" The blonde smiles lasciviously, infuriating the pinkette even further.
"Shut up! Go home!" A pillow smacks Ino square in the face.
"I understand, Mr. Wayne. Everything will be taken care of. Thank you for informing me about the situation. We will handle things accordingly. I would like to suggest that Miss Romov stays for the night for observation... If that isn't a problem, sir. She can leave tomorrow." The doctor glosses over the paperwork, clearly interested in the case.
"Of course. She can have the next few days to get herself together. Tasha's important person to Wayne Enterprises and myself. I just want to make sure that she is cared for properly and in good health." Bruce glances towards the door they came through.
Tasha's a good woman. Quite intelligent and useful for the company… and very beautiful. She grew into a wonderful person since they first met. Bruce has an eye for quality and knew when they first spoke that she would become someone important. Whether it's to him or his company is a different story.
Admittedly, the hand he reached out was initially out of guilt. The teenager was found half-dead outside one of the buildings he had unknowingly inherited from his parents. She fell from the fire escape a few floors down. That caused her head trauma… among other things… and different injuries.
The young billionaire shakes his head remembering how she looked in the hospital in a comatose state. The girl's head had been cracked open, and she almost bled to death on the sidewalk. Only one person bothered calling the police and thankfully they did, or Gordon would have been cleaning up the body of another young person lost to The Narrows...
Recalling what Gordon said from when he arrived, he thought it was already too late for the girl. Her eyes stared off blankly in the distance, but there were no signs of consciousness. It sent chills down his spine. The worst part of it all was how callously her mother reacted when the police questioned her. She was more upset about the cops interfering with her day and taking her husband away. The fact that her daughter was found dying on the cement below their apartment didn't seem to faze her...
'No matter...'
That was then, this is now. She survived and by the grace of God, yet can't remember anything. With his help, she was able to live a normal life. It's better than handing her over to such nasty people, who don't give a damn.
If only he cleaned up the area, knew those buildings were his... Most people don't even bother with that area of town. It's considered a lost cause, as are the people who live there. Maybe if he had reached out to help back then, such atrocities could have been avoided.
'One person at a time...'
The past can't be changed, but he will look forward to the future. Whether as Bruce Wayne or Batman, it doesn't matter. He'll try to save as many lost souls as possible.
It's dark out. The only light in the room is cast from the moon and bright signs from outside of the quiet hospital.
Tasha's overly drowsy from the medications the doctor's been giving her all day. Pain medication and more sedatives. A good mix to keep someone knocked out that keeps insisting on going home...
The pinkette groans, lulling her to the side as something rough ghosts over the soft skin of her cheek and jaw. For a moment, she leans into it, just wanting to fall back asleep. Her mind's so foggy from the sedatives they're administering to keep her knocked out.
What's waking her up now? If Tasha has to stay in this godforsaken place, it's better just to sleep through it.
Green eyes spring open at the realization of what's going on... Someone's fingers are running along the side of her face, slowly trailing into the pink locks strewn across the pillow. She can feel the calloused tips grazing against her scalp. They're moving through her hair, lacing it around their fingers and bringing the strands up from the pillow towards them.
'What the fuck?!'
Her small hand shoots up, angrily grabbing the person's wrist with a grip that threatens to break the offender's bones if they continue.
"Hahaha!" That laugh! Tasha can never forget it, even if she tries...
The man leans down, giving her an unfortunate better look at his scarred face. Even in the shadows, the pinkette can see that crazy smile etched across his wicked face. His dark eyes light up as he wildly stares down at her.
"My, my princess... What a grip you have there!" Realizing that holding onto him will only keep him close, she quickly yanks her hand back. The pinkette pulls away as if touching him alone will sear her skin right off. Panic sets in as she trembles, bolting up and pushing herself away towards the opposite end of the bed. Anywhere away from this madman. "Oh... Don't be like that, dollface! Didn't you miss me?"
The way his voice deepens at the end sends shivers trailing down her spine. What does he want? Did he finally come to kill her for what she witnessed earlier today? Why didn't he just do it when he had the gun in his hand?
"What the fuck do you want?" She grounds out harshly, hoping it conveys exactly how much disdain his presence alone brings.
This is terrifying... It takes every ounce of courage in her just to say that much. The aura around him is suffocating. It's like he has a knife to her throat, and she doesn't know when he'll finally drag the blade across and end it all. The worst part won't be the death in itself, but the build-up of not knowing when it will happen.
"Hmm? Tsk, tsk, tsk... What a question to ask me, of all people. Ya sure have guts. Well… I, ah, think you do anyway. Should we see if they're there?" A gloved hand slides inside the long purple trench coat he's wearing. The pinkette holds her breath, watching him pulling something out from his pocket. With a whisk, Tasha can see the blade gleaming in the light coming through the window.
Towering over the bed like some demon of the night, he twists the blade between his fingers, drinking in the reactions he's eliciting… until she opens her mouth to scream.
Faster than she can see, his hand slams against her mouth, pushing the pinkette roughly into the mattress. Her eyes widen, staring into the dark ones above her. He's no longer smiling, despite the scars on his mouth giving him a permanent one.
"Sh. Shh. Shhh… sweetheart. Now, why would ya go and try a stupid thing like that? Hmm? We both know you're much smarter than that!" The pinkette tries moving her mouth, wanting to bite his fingers off. The smell coming from him is overwhelming. Gasoline, gunpowder, fire… and his own mixed into it all. The noxious scent is making her head spin as the headache comes back with a vengeance.
"We don't want anyone interrupting our little reunion now, do we? After all, if someone does come in here, I'll have to kill them." The grin returns to his face seeing her horrified expression. "And it will be all your fault. Wanna live with that, dollface?"
The Joker's smile widens, quickly turning into a sneer when she slowly nods. His lips curl up, baring his teeth that make her skin crawl. "Good. I didn't think so... You never liked being responsible for what happens to other people..."
Tasha's eyebrows fly up, not understanding what the hell he's talking about. What does he know about her? Was he watching or listening to the conversation from earlier?
"Don't give me that look. You seemed surprised — uh... Let's see..." The clown cranes his neck back and glances around the room like he's trying to find something. Ignoring the harsh breathing against his hand, he presses down harder, keeping her pinned. "Ah, yes. Tasha. Short for 'Natasha' I'd presume? Is that who you are now?" He scowls down at her and his expression darkens. "Ya can change your name city, but can't get rid of who ya are. Not really... The past always comes to bite ya in the ass one day."
Pitch-black eyes roam along her body, shifting back and forth to take everything in. "And speaking of asses..." Joker leans down close to her face, his painted nose running along the skin of her jaw. "I'd like to, ah, take a bite out of yours... Mhmm..." She doesn't like the gleam in his eyes when the words come out or the way he's looking at her. It's like he can see right through her clothes, causing the pinkette to suddenly feel naked and ashamed.
"Tch. I just can't help myself when I'm around you, after all. Hahaha! Still so…hopeless." Thinking about the way he was smelling her hair and touching her face when he thought she was sleeping made the pinkette's stomach turn.
"You sure grew into one hell of a fine woman. I would have expected as much, but ya just had to go and run? Didn't you?" A snarl rips through the room and his jaw snaps just inches from her face, making her shriek against his palm. The fingers gripping her mouth tighten, digging into her skin painfully.
The clown's face twists into a grimace, grinding his teeth together. Growling out, the hold on her mouth loosens by a hair. His tongue flicks over his bottom lip, running up along his jagged scar. This man seems so agitated and furious, but it doesn't make any sense. She didn't go to the police or anything…
"Why did ya have to go and do somethin' like that. Hmm?" This is getting dangerous. This clown's talking nonsense and is going to kill her in a fit of madness.
Daring to glance away from him, she quickly looks around for something — anything — she can use to fight him off with. If she's going to die, might as well try to make it difficult for him.
The clown realizes her intentions and pounces on top of her, using his knees to pin the pinkette's arms down by her sides. Gripping her face painfully, he roughly yanks her jaw back in his direction, forcing her to look at him.
Tasha tries staring at anything other than him. She can't stand to see his face anymore, it's causing her head throb painfully. That face… and those terrible eyes. Squeezing her eyes shut, praying to wake up from this horrible nightmare.
"LOOK AT ME!" He roars in her face, his veins showing through the white greasepaint. The cold metal against her cheek leaves the pinkette with no other choice, but to comply. Hesitantly looking up at him, she's scared to death. Is he going to chop her up and leave the corpse for the nurses to find in the morning?
"That's better, sweetheart..." He smirks, the corner of his mouth quirking up. Running the blade along her skin, Tasha can't fathom what could be going through his mind. What's going to happen now? "I don't want to have to hurt ya, doll. Don't try to fight me, ya have no chance in hell. There's already somethin' nice in that IV. Any minute now, ya won't even have the strength to fight a kindergartner."
"HAHAHAHAA!" Joker laughs madly when her green eyes widen, his chest rumbling with the raucous noise. "Ya see, I don't want to hurt you, but you're not making this easy. You could've just pretended to be sleeping and I would have left. Quiet. As. A. Mouse... What's wrong, beautiful? Hmm?"
Fed up, the pinkette tries to buck him off of her. It's better than just lying there, waiting to be carved up. The clown laughs even louder as her body gives way, unable to muster any more strength. "Stop it... You're just getting me more excited!"
"Wow. That's some tolerance you have there to drugs, missy... Should I be concerned?" He seems to be enjoying himself and it makes her sick. "Don't give me that look. Say... How about I put a smile on that face?" Moving his hand lower, the blade touches the corner of her mouth, causing her to freeze altogether. "What's wrong?! We could have couples' scars! It's a lot better than what most folks do these days! A lot cheaper too..."
'No... He wouldn't… carve my face up. I'd be ruined.'
Tasha lays completely still, feeling the cold metal hooked into the corner of her mouth, threatening to permanently disfigure her. Unable to hold it in any longer, tears start running down her face and onto his hand. The clown leans back with a horrified expression like she just slapped him across the face.
"Stop... Stop it!" He yells, pushing her face away and letting go of the harsh hold around her mouth. His reaction's completely unexpected, shocking her even more than his appearance. The way his tone and moods keep changing are giving her whiplash and she's unable to keep up with the drastic swings.
"Tch." Turning away abruptly, the clown sits up and hops off the bed, walking towards the window. His body's tense, every muscle on edge and shoulders raised. Despite the grogginess from the drugs, the pinkette can hear the low muttering and quiet growls coming from the man as he starts pacing. No matter how hard she tries, it's impossible to make out what he's saying. Every few steps, he glances over towards her with a wild look in his eyes, before resuming the increasingly deranged behavior.
"You know I hate it when you do that..." His deep voice is a low murmur, but she can hear it.
'What is wrong with him?! What a freak!'
Picking up the chair by the window with his gloved hands, he smashes glass effortlessly. Wind quickly billows in and the curtains flutter violently. The sound of a helicopter can be heard coming closer. The man turns back to the pinkette, startling her as a breath catches in her throat. Will he quickly kill her, before running off?
The look on his face... He's not smiling. If anything, he looks… sad. It's strange seeing a murderous clown able to make such an expression. It's making her head throb.
The helicopter's close now and Tasha can just barely see men standing on the ledge when the door opens. A rope's thrown down, dangling in the air. The clown reaches forward, wrapping his fist around it, getting ready to jump. There's no doubt they came to steal the hospital's mode of transportation. Whether that's what the Joker came for and just happened upon her by chance, is an entirely different question in itself.
"Wait!" Before she even realizes it, the words leave her mouth without thinking.
The clown turns with a surprised look, not expecting her to say anything and just wanting him to leave. "What do you want from me?" She's almost breathless from the drugs in the IV making her feel dizzy and tired.
Joker stands there staring at her, his expression indistinguishable, but eyes dark as ever. What does she want him to say? That he'll leave her alone and forget what just happened now and earlier in the day? Perhaps...
A menacing chuckle leaves his jagged, scarred lips as he takes one more glance at her. His words send shivers down her spine. The throbbing in her head hits full-force as he escapes through the window.
" Everything."
