Sakura kicked open the door to apartment, holding the box in her hands haphazardly. Right now, she just didn't care. Not at all...
Groaning out in exhaustion, the pinkette dragged herself across the carpet, just glad to have made it home in one piece. Being so close to death can really make someone realize that things could be much worse. In times like this, it would be best to try to keep a clear head. Running off of instincts alone wasn't going to help anyone, let alone herself... If she'd been thinking clearly, it would have been obvious that fleeing Gotham was a bad idea. The first letter the clown left said as much...that he'd left presents at every exit of the city. All because she'd been in such a hurry to save herself, so many lives had been lost in the explosion.
'I should have just stayed...faced the music. This is all my fault. I hate that goddamn clown! Why does he have to destroy everything? What's the endgame?'
Walking past the living room, she absentmindedly tossed the pizza box on to the table, making it slide across the surface towards the edge.
"Dammit!" Rushing forward, thinking the food was about to fall to the floor, she let out a heavy breath seeing that it didn't tip over. Dinner was safe...the only thing in her life that was. The last thing she needed was to ruin just one more thing, before reaching a breaking point
'Phew...'
Letting her head slump forward, a small chuckle left her slips. It wasn't that the pizza was important...it really wasn't. The fact that the pinkette even stopped for food on the way home felt...wrong. There were so many people out there who were waiting for their loved ones to come home, maybe even had a hot plate sitting on a table for them, just to find out no one was coming back.
'Don't think about it... Don't think about it... Fuck!'
It was eating her up... The guilt, shame...blaming eveything on herself for being a coward and trying to run. Even if it was someone else who planted the bombs, it felt like the choice had been hers.
'How can that clown go day after day doing things like this? The guilt alone would have killed me... How does he live with himself? Do you have to reach a certain level of madness before it doesn't bother you anymore? Maybe it never fazed him...'
After Batman had saved the pinkette from a certain death, he tried to get her to stay and let the paramedics check her out to make sure everything was okay. With so many injured and dead, it seemed almost laughable at that point. There were dozens of people who needed their attention, and she wasn't one of them.
Examining the cut on her arm, it wasn't that bad. It didn't look like it really needed stitches. If this was the all that came out of what happened tonight, she was pretty damn lucky...
Right now, a shower was needed before doing anything else. Seeing the eyes and expressions from people passing by on the street said more than enough about what kind of state she was in. Maybe having some quiet and warm water would help clear up the barrage of thoughts, give her some space to think. At least in the bathroom with the door locked, there wouldn't be anyone else around, nothing to torment the pinkette, aside from herself.
Striding into the bedroom, Sakura went to the dresser to grab a change of clothes. Something simple and comfortable, just a pair of gray sweatpants and a small black tank top. Looking down at what she was currently wearing, a lump formed in her throat at seeing the remnants of what happened. Dark soot and droplets of blood smeared on her skin and clothes. There was no point in even trying to salvage anything, it would all go in the trash. That seemed to be happening more often these days...
It didn't matter... Those were trivial things that could be replaced. It was what caused the clothes to be ruined in the first place that was the real problem.
Closing the drawers and turning away, Sakura was in daze as she stepped out of the bedroom. It was like walking through a dream, where nothing seemed real. Everything just felt automatic, almost like someone else was making the movements for her, similar to when she was with Jin on the night of the shooting. Was there anything the pinkette had control over anymore? Anything she did only seemed to end in disaster, but what would happen if she did nothing? Was she just a useless puppet hanging from someone's string who was trying to wrangle her back into place?
'Doesn't seem like there's much I can do now anyway...'
Walking through the city, Gotham was buzzing with the news about the bridge collapsing from the explosion. It was all over the news and everyone was in a panic. The chaos was bringing out the worst in people. The crime rate was skyrocketing, from Joker copycats to the mob getting sloppy.
Wanting to do something, she mindlessly stopped at the pizzeria around the corner on the way home and picked some food up. It wasn't like she had much of an appetite, but at least it would be there if something changed...
The television in the small place was broadcasting live feed and updates about what was going on across the city where the bridge used to be. The death toll kept changing...increasing.
'I should have listened to his warning... Now there are so many people dead...all because I was only thinking about running away.'
Shaking her head to try to get rid of the thoughts, Sakura walked into the bathroom and turned on the water.
Just wash everything away...The ash...blood...wash it all away.
The pinkette sighed as she opened the bathroom door, letting the steam billow out. That was what the doctor called for... A nice, hot shower.
'I'm actually hungry now. I guess it was a good thing I grabbed that pizza.'
Using a towel to dry the damp pink locks that hung low down her shoulders, she tried stifling a yawn, walking towards the living room. Maybe the pinkette was going mad.. Right now, she was feeling quite refreshed...almost peaceful, despite everything. It would be easier to deal with if she could convince herself that none of it ever happened. Otherwise, the guilt and paranoia might become too much...suffocating...waiting to strike at a moments notice.
'How do people live with this shit?'
Hanging the towel on the bathroom door, she rolled her shoulders, feeling the tense muscles relax. Nothing was better than taking a hot shower and slipping into some clean clothes. Her shoes wiggled, enjoying the feel of the fresh fabric on her feet. The pinkette didn't know what would happen now, but one things was for sure. She needed to be strong, think more clearly and try to stay alive, without dragging anyone else into this mess. Whatever was going on was confusing to say the least, but innocent people shouldn't have to be harmed because of it.
Stepping out of the bathroom to go towards the living area, a soft sigh left her lips when the cool air in the apartment hit her skin. It was definitely that time of year when the heat needed to go on, but part of her enjoyed the cold. Even when her skin was prickled with goosebumps, it still felt good.
Looking up from tying the string of her sweatpants, Sakura stopped dead in her tracks.
Sitting in a chair at the table was the last man she wanted to see right now...
The Joker sat there quietly, his dark eyes staring right at her. A purple trench coat was draped over the back of the chair. No longer donning the cab driver uniform from earlier, he was in the get-up he'd become infamous for wearing. The sleeves of his purple hexagon dress shirt were sloppily rolled up to crook of his elbow. The green waistcoat had a smudge of soot or something similar still on it from whatever horrible thing he'd done last. Without having to look, there was no doubt about whether the purple pinstriped pants were on or not.
And...
He did not look happy. Not one bit...
Green eyes looked around, not sure of what to do. Glancing towards the table, she froze at the sight of a gun sitting right in front of him. It was done intentionally...like he wanted her to see it.
"Sit down." A gloved hand motioned towards the seat across from him, not even a hint of the grin that was usually plastered on his smug face.. There was no room for question, it was a command. Eyeing the gun, the pinkette slowly walked towards the table and pulled a chair out to sit down.
They stared at each other, the tension making Sakura shift uncomfortable. The man sitting across from didn't have his greasepaint on again. She studied his face, it looked so...different. Despite not having it on in the cab, it was hard to really focus on his features with what had been going on. Without the striking clown makeup, the pinkette was surprised that his skin was tan beneath it all, nothing like the white paint he usually wore.
Dark eyes shifted along Sakura's face, studying her in the same way. It felt odd just sitting there, staring at each other without saying anything. Why was he even here? After all that happened...this man sure had a lot of nerve. If it weren't for the weapon sitting right in front of him, she might have tried running to the bedroom and locking the door to call the police.
'He'd just break the door down, then...then what? This guy has had a million chances to kill me. Could have even come in the bathroom and strangled me... I don't get it. Do I owe him money or something? Whatever he wants, I guess he needs me alive for, but that doesn't explain his reaction at the bridge...'
Grazing her teeth over her bottom lip, the pinkette glanced down towards his mouth. It was hard not to look at them, probably even impossible. The scars... The greasepaint definitely made them stick out far more, the red immediately drawing anyone's attention to the disfigurement. Maybe that was his intention...did it on purpose to make people look. The skin was cracked and raised, poorly healed after a shit job of suturing them up.
''The scars around his mouth look terrible. Whatever caused them must have been so painful... No one in their right mind would do something like that to themselves. Then again, he's not exactly someone in their right mind..'
Joker raised a hand to his mouth and coughed loudly, drawing her attention from away from the marred skin.
"...Wha-t? Do I have something on my face?" He quirked an eyebrow, still staring at the pinkette. Unlike just moments ago, his voice sounded playful, almost lighthearted. Sakura craned her neck back at the sudden change in tone, looking at him suspiciously.
'What's this bastard up to?'
"No, I just..." Without thinking, the words came out. What was she going to say? Looking away from him, it was easier to stare at the small hands in her lap, wringing them together nervously.
This was so frustrating...
"Hahaha!" The pinkette looked up in confusion as he laughed, a wide grin spreading across his face.
"Go ahead, say it." Crossing his arms over his chest, eyes flickered up towards the ceiling as he shifted in the chair. "No, I just like it when you smile and laugh. You should do it more often." It sounded like lines being recited from a movie or something. The smug look on his face was irritating.
"You're insane."
The corner of his mouth quirked up, tongue snaking out to run over the forked scar that split his bottom lip. Despite being the same person with the same weird behaviors, it felt strange seeing him do it barefaced like this.
"I'm not. No, I'm not... Ya see, people just assume I am, because I don't fit in the pretty little mold that everyone expects. A man like me is outside the box and people don't like what they can't comprehend. I'm not insane, just ahead of the curve." To her disbelief, he grabbed the pizza box, and pulled out a slice. His eyes narrowed, grinning at the way her jaw drop as he took a large bite out of it.
'Son of a bitch! Now he's going to eat my food too?'
"That's what someone insane would say." His explanation was bullshit. No sane person would kill hundreds and bomb places without even a hint of remorse, saying they're just 'ahead of the curve'.
He rolled his eyes, eating the pizza without looking back at her. Propping his head up against his arm along the top of the chair, his dark eyes roamed around the room, taking in the surroundings.
"Enjoying the pizza?" Sakura was annoyed beyond belief, almost enough to overshadow the fear from moments ago. This asshole really had the nerve to break into her apartment again, but now he was going to sit here and eat dinner like nothing was wrong? Watching him devour the pizza was making her hungry, but the idea of eating across from this madman didn't seem very appealing.
'What's he doing? Is he trying to get me to let my guard down before he does something?'
No one would believe it if they heard about this. After blowing up Gotham Bridge, the Joker was sitting at her table, eating pizza like it was the most normal thing in the world... Sakura herself couldn't believe it, and this was happening right before her eyes.
The clown looked back towards her, a smirk playing on his face as he finished chewing. To the pinkette's disgust, he stuck a gloved finger in his mouth, sucking on it loudly, pulling it out with a pop. Relishing in the grimace she was making, he leaned back against the chair with a chuckle.
"Of course. Ya know, it's a real pain to get a decent meal in this city. Everywhere I go, people just can't help staring at my handsome face... Heh... Can't go anywhere these days..." With a shrug, held out his hands out as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Sakura raised an eyebrow, trying to stay angry. What was he doing? Trying to get a laugh out of her? This was awkward... Maybe if he had his greasepaint on, this would feel different, but he's still the same man either way.
"What's wrong, dollface? Not hungry?" Reaching into the box, he grabbed a slice and leaned across the table, holding it out for her to take.
"Not anymore..." Looking away, she bit her lip to remind herself who this was and not to be fooled. This was some kind of messed-up joke, trying to play nice for God-knows-what reason. Right after the words came out, the rumbling in her stomach contradicted what she said.
'Right on fucking cue...'
"Hohahaha... I guess your, ah, stomach's just angry then? I can hear it from over here. Just eat." He tossed the slice onto the table as he grabbed another, not wasting any time in devouring it.
'Christ, he must really be hungry...'
"I-I'm going to get a plate..." Pushing her chair back, the pinkette stood up nervously as she watched him. The clown seemed to be enjoying this. Must be getting a kick out of how uneasy she was.
"For wha-t? Do you have a gun in there? You're not planing on grabbing a knife, right? It's not good hospitality when you have a guest to do anything unprovoked, ya know..." She eyed him suspiciously, looking from his nonchalant expression to the gun on the table. Unfortunately, there wasn't a gun in the kitchen, and she wasn't planning on getting a weapon. If she tried anything, it would only result in getting shot. The gun on the table was meant to make that very clear.
"No... I just don't want to eat off of the table like a dog. Can't exactly inhale a slice in one go the way you do, so I'd like to have something to put it down on."
"It's alright. I know there isn't a gun in here anyway." Cranking his head to the side, the noise his neck made when it cracked startled her as he rolled his shoulders back.
'Shame he didn't break his neck by accident...'
The way the clown mentioned her not having a gun as a 'matter of fact' was worrying in itself. Saying so much with so little... It was his way of letting her know that he's already gone through the apartment and knew exactly what he was dealing with.
'He's such a bastard!'
Sakura ground her teeth angrily. This maniac just does whatever he pleases without any concern for anyone or anything. No matter what happens, he just keeps coming back...like Freddy Krueger.
'At least Freddy can be funny...'
Turning away, the Sakura stomped into the kitchen and swung open the cabinet door. Grabbing a glass plate, she froze as an idea formed, looking down at it curiously. Maybe...
No. For a second, she debated trying to smash it over his head and grabbing the gun, but that wouldn't work. The pinkette doubted her own ability to confidently pull that off. The clown was undoubtedly on guard, despite how relaxed he seemed. What would happen after that anyway? Nothing good...
'Let's just observe...see what he wants or intends to do. He'll do whatever he wants anyway. There's no point in trying to figure him out. Insanity isn't something normal people can understand.'
For now, she was alive. He seemed to be enjoying himself and wasn't causing any harm at the moment, but that could all change in a split-second. If Joker was going to kill her or do something terrible, there was nothing that could be done to stop him.
Walking out of the kitchen and back to the table, it was hard trying not to squirm under his piercing gaze...watching every move she was making as she set the plate down on the table.
'He really is on guard...'
Grabbing the slice the clown had thrown on to the table, she picked it up and hesitantly took a bite out of it. Despite the lousy company, it tasted good... Not even the sight of the psychotic clown could ruin that.
"Isn't this nice? We, ah, look like a normal couple, sitting down and eating dinner together... Hahaha!" Sakura choked, the food getting stuck in her throat. She banged a fist against her chest, trying to get it to go down. What the hell is wrong with this clown? Is that what this looked like to him? "Don't die, sweetheart."
"S-Shut up!" Taking a deep breath, she swallowed the piece that lodged itself in the wrong place. The urge to punch him again was incredibly tempting right about now...
"Don't be like that. Aren't you enjoying yourself? I know I am..." Finishing his third slice, he stuck a finger in his scarred mouth, sucking on it exaggeratedly. Again...just to get another disgusted reaction. "Mm-mmm.. That was good."
"What do you want? Why are you here?"
Joker looked up at her in mock surprise, turning his head from one side to the other, staring around in bewilderment. He looked as if he was trying to find the person she was talking to like that, it obviously couldn't have been him. "Should I, ah, not be here? Hmm? I thought I was... Then tell me, where am I supposed to be?"
Sakura crossed her arms over her chest, eyes narrowing in on him. "I don't know, but not here. Maybe prison? Or a padded cell?"
A wide smile spread across his face, the scars only adding to the demented grin. The look of a devil. "A padded cell does sound nice... Hey, how 'bout we share one? I never met a chick who tried beating up a poor cabbie all because they got stuck in traffic. Heh...or being so careless and clumsy they fell from a six-lane bridge. How reckless..."
Smacking her hands on the table, the pinkette stood, looking down at him feeling enraged. "Enough! Stop fucking with me! Just get out..." The clown put a hand to his chest with a shocked expression, acting like her words actually hurt him. Everything was just a joke to this guy...
"My, my, kitten. Why are you so-so angry? I just got here and now you wanna kick me out? So serious all the time. You know...you should smile more often. It'll make you feel better. Take a look at me... I'm always smiling!" He pointed towards the corners of his mouth, grinning wide enough she could see his teeth. It only made her want to knock them out.
Sakura frowned, giving off a deadpan expression. Only the Joker would try to make a joke out of something so terrible.
"What's there for me to smile about, huh? You just destroyed the Gotham bridge, shot up a club, hurt Jin, killed dozens, if not hundreds of people...and keep breaking into my apartment! You've been tormenting me for almost two goddamn weeks! Do you really think I want to sit here and eat fucking pizza with you? Asshole!" The vein in her forehead was throbbing as she clenched her fists against the surface of the table, trying to resist the urge to clobber him.
"Wow. What a potty mouth ya got there." Green eyes widened in anger at his nerve. He was just a big troll. "Yeah, I did that. To be fair, you did have forewarning about the bridge. Right?... That was all you, sweetheart. Ya did have a choice, after all. And I didn't hurt Jin...just, ah, killed him a little." The sneer on his face as he sat back in the chair made Sakura tremble with rage. This man really couldn't give a shit about anything he does.
Grabbing the plate from the table, she went to throw it at him until a gloved finger pointed towards the gun.
"At-ta-ta-ta. Don't be so hasty! We're having a little talk... No need to resort to violence, just yet."
Biting her bottom lip, she dropped the plate onto the table with a loud bang. The pinkette forgot about the weapon in her anger, silently cursing her own stupidity. No, now was not the time to do anything foolish... With a sigh, she flopped back down into the chair, feeling defeated.
"Why? Why do you keep doing this shit? Always doing and planning such terrible things..." Sakura's voice was low, but she knew he heard it.
"Why so serious, dollface?" Looking up at him, she just felt like crying in frustration. Everything was just a joke to him. She and her life were. "Look, I don't want there to be any hard feelings between us." The pinkette's brows furrowed watching the man across from her incredulously. "I just do things. Ya see, I'm not a schemer like Jin or Dent. Guys like that spend all their time plotting and trying to control everything around them. I just like to show them how...pathetic their attempts to control things really are."
Licking his scar, Joker cocked his head to the side as his eye twitched. "I just did what I do best. I took their plans and turned it on itself." The clown spoke in a sing-song voice, clearly finding enjoyment from explaining himself. "Look what I did to this city in the last week. Look how everyone changed. All it took was a couple of barrels of gas and a few bullets. All the good people of Gotham are turning on each other with knives at each other's throats. Ya wanna know why? Because it wasn't 'part of the plan'... As soon as people can't control something or the plan doesn't go their way, everyone loses their mind!" Gloved hands waved around excitedly, brimming with the energy ready to burst out at any moment.
"Bullshit. No one could pull the crap you do without planning. You planted the bombs at the bridge. You shot up that club. You murdered innocent people."
Joker quirked an eyebrow, throwing his head back with a hearty laugh. "Like I said, I just do things. I might have put my little fireworks at the bridge, but it was you who went there and set them off. I may have brought a gun or two to the club, but it was you who pulled the trigger. Ya had a choice, sweetheart... Can't help it if you're always making the wrong one."
Sakura's lips turned inward, making a straight line as she stared into his dark eyes. Just like he said, he had a way of trying to turn plans in on themselves. Instead of taking responsibility for the things he's done, he leaves just enough room to make it seem like you were the one who made the decisions.
'He's very cunning...and dangerous...'
"And Jin?"
"Hoo boy! That little shit had it coming. Mhmm. That was all me." Joker giggled, looking at his gloved hand appreciatively as he turned it side to side.
"You're a monster." She said quietly, not wanting to look at him anymore.
"I'm not. No. I'm. Not... You shouldn't have let him touch your hand." His voice turned serious, making her look back. "As soon as he touched you, it was already too late. Sheesh...You really know nothing? He's able to search through all your memories and feelings, tinker around with them." Dark eyes stared at her intently as he spoke, words forming into a growl in his anger. "Manipulate 'em..."
"That's what he does... Makes people think they did shit that never happened, do things they normally wouldn't... Someone like that was valuable to those mob fools. Deals can pan out easily for the big ol' 'crime lords' and shady businessmen who hired him. That Jin was just a pain in the ass. Ya know what they say. If ya have an itch, scratch it." The Joker held his hands up, no sign of remorse whatsoever.
"You let him in your head and mess with your memories. Big mis-take. What was I supposed to do? Hmm? Just sit there, while he lied and tried to replace me? You fell for the con hook, line, and sinker." The clown studied her face, carefully watching for any hint of a reaction.
"Ha!" Joker stared at the pinkette in confusion, brows furrowed as his jaw clenched tightly. "What? Did you think that I didn't know that he can mess with someone's head? He told me on the first night that he could affect my emotions. I had my suspicions about the memories, but...that doesn't matter anymore. Jin brought me calmness in the storm you caused. It just...felt nice to have a break from your shit and the anxiety I was having." Gloved hands balled up into fists on top of the table as she spoke, the muscles in his face and body tensing up.
When Sakura thought about everything after the incident at the club, things just didn't add-up in her head when the images replayed themselves over again. The boy in her memories originally had dirty blonde hair, not black. Their voices were nothing alike either, even if it was from long ago... No one goes from talking one way, then having a slight Korean accent. It had become clear that it was all a lie. For what reason, it looked like no one would be able to find out now...thanks to the clown.
"What did you say?" The tone in his voice turned dangerous, his smile long faded away.
"I said, I already knew what he can do for the most part. It was thanks to him touching me that I was able to gain a few of my memories back. When I got my charm from my dad...my name... Jin might not have been the best person, but he gave me something priceless. His ability was useful..." Seeing the look on his face, Sakura internally grinned, realizing she actually could affect how he felt. Maybe not in the same way he did to her, but it was something. "His gift was amazing... Did you know he can even make someone feel arousal just from a slight touch?"
Before she could even blink, Joker was right there, hand gripping her jaw tightly. His eyes were wild, staring down at her. The muscles in his face moved along with his jaw, grinding his teeth together.
"What. Did. You. Just. Say?!" Sakura could feel the rage emanating from the deranged criminal. It was frightening, but she was enjoying getting under his skin. Making him lose it, like he's been doing to her for the last two weeks.
Sakura chuckled, making his grip tighten.
'Oh, how the tables have turned...'
"What's wrong? I'm a grown woman and even I have needs. Jin was very handsome...and he always made me laugh."
Joker shook with anger, he was absolutely seething. She wouldn't have been surprised if he started frothing at the mouth with the way he looked. The other hand wrapped around her throat, squeezing down hard as his jaw snapped near her face. The pinkette could feel the growl reverberating from his chest through the hand coiled around her. The murderous glare made a tremble shoot through her body, feeling incredibly small beneath the man looming above. From this angle, he really did look like a demon..sent straight from hell by the devil himself to destroy everything.
"You..." There was no doubt his insticts were pushing him to kill, to strangle the life from her. That was what he was used to, right? Someone pisses him off, says the wrong thing, and he just ends it, then and there.
The smile Sakura gave off made the veins in the clown's forehead pulse against his tan skin, making them visible. The hand around the pinkette's neck was becoming too tight, fingers digging unforgivingly into her skin.
"What's..wrong? Ackkkhhh... Hah... Why so serious?" The grip on her throat was cutting off any chance of sucking in oxygen, making her light-headed. Did he really want to hurt her now? Small hands latched on to his wrist as panic set in, nails scratching at the exposed skin beneath his glove. Tears formed in her eyes, desperately trying to get air as she kicked against his shin. It felt like there was rock beneath the purple fabric, instead of a man's leg.
Joker's eyes widened, blinking hard and shaking himself out from whatever was going on inside. His face turning pale, blood draining from it. He looked like she just slapped him, looking around in disbelief. Letting go of her, Sakura lurched forward, coughing harshly as she trembled. He could have just killed her... Slim fingers gingerly felt along her neck, gasping as her shoulders slumped.
'I didn't think he would react like that... Jesus Christ..'
The man turned away from her, walking back and forth near the chair he had been sitting on just a few moments ago. Lifting her head up slowly, she tried to regain what composure she could muster. Green eyes watched him tentively, wondering what would happen now. His hand reached up, running long fingers along the disfigured trails coming from the corners of his mouth, muttering to himself.
Joker suddenly stopped, making her more nervous at his odd behavior. She couldn't get a grasp on this person, who was strange and unpredictable. No wonder the authorites and Batman were having a hard time dealing with him. It seemed almost impossible to read him and he was completely off his rocker. Rubbing her neck, she silently watched him from her seat. He stood still for a moment, seemingly deep in thought.
"Ah...HahAhHAHAH! HoHAHa..." The sudden cackle was unnerving. "...And I thought my jokes were bad. You're, ah- You're lying." Turning his head towards her and running a hand through his faded green hair, the grin on his face made hers disappear. "Besides, Jin isn't so handsome anymore. We could pass for twins now."
Sakura ground her teeth, eyes narrowing on him before glancing towards the gun still on the table.
Strolling back to the chair and plopping down, the clown cocked his head to the side, eyeing her with interest. He looked down at the weapon in front of him. Picking the gun up with a bored expression, he bolted up and stepped around the table, making her jump back against the seat. Small hands defensively curled inwards to her chest, afraid of what he was about to do.
Crouching down in front of her chair, he grabbed pinkette's hand and pulled it away from her chest. His grip was much stronger, she couldn't yank away no matter how hard she tried.
Forcing the gun in the palm of her hand, he wrapped his own around it, aiming the weapon at his head. Sakura's eyes widened in disbelief, her heart pounding hard at what he was doing. He couldn't be serious... This man really was insane to put a loaded weapon in someone's hand that he just attacked. What's wrong with him?
Licking his lips and looking up at her, his body swayed in place, almost like he was getting ready for the impact. He smiled in a way that didn't seem to reach his eyes. At all.. "Go ahead. Shoot me. That's what you want, right?... The way you keep looking at my gun is making me so-just so jealous.."
Sakura's hand trembled, horrified at what was happening. Yeah, she was looking at the gun, but could she really shoot someone? Kill a person in cold-blood?
'It's not like he doesn't deserve it... God knows he does...'
Right now, a bullet could end the chaos spreading through the city... Save dozens, if not hundreds of lives. No one has been able to stop this man, and he would continue spreading his stink everywhere he went. One single shot could do what even Batman couldn't...
Gripping the gun tightly, the war inside was spilling out onto her face. Anger, confusion, panic, trepidation... Could she bring herself to end this man? To put an end to her own suffering and Gotham's?
"C'mon, doll. Do it. I want you to... C'mon! Shoot me!"
Gritting her teeth, she pressed the cold metal hard against his head. This man was completely insane...
Looking into his dark eyes as he licked his lips, the pinkette shuddered. There was something there. A challenge, daring her to pull the trigger? No, not just that. It was something else... Sorrow? Remorse? What could be going on in his head?
'There's no way he really wants me to shoot him. It must be a trick... No one is that crazy.'
Sighing, she loosened the grip on the weapon, but his hands still held them there tightly.
"What's wrong? Lost ya nerve?" He cocked his head to the side, the corner of his mouth quirking up.
"No... I-I just..." Green eyes glanced away, not wanting to look at him anymore. Her head was hurting again, probably from listening to his voice changing tone every few minutes and seeing that obnoxious face. The tight feeling in her chest returned with a vengeance as she silently cursed herself over and over again. What was this? Regret? Did she feel guilty for debating whether to shoot him or not?
"I can't do it... I'm not like you. I can't just kill someone..." Sakura jumped in her seat as he lunged forward, quickly stopping as she froze up.
The clown was close...too close for comfort.
The pinkette couldn't move when she felt his hot breath against her neck. A chill ran down her spine as his nose traced the column of her neck, grazing along her jaw softly. Goosebumps pricked at her skin at the sudden contact.
'W-What is he doing?!'
Too shocked to move, thoughts and images ran through her mind feeling the headache intensify. This felt familiar...
"HAHAHAHA!" Joker sat back, taking the gun from her hands. Heat rushed to her cheeks from embarrassment and anger, watching as he twirled the gun on his finger as he stood up. "What's wrong, sweetheart? You look...disappointed."
Sakura's jaw dropped, feeling like someone dumped a bucket of ice water down her back. She couldn't believe him...or herself. It wasn't disappointment, it was shock.
'Maybe I should have just shot him...'
Standing up, the pinkette stomped into the kitchen to away from the fit of crazy laughter coming from the table. Opening the fridge and grabbing a water bottle, she twisted the lid off, imagining it was the clown's head. The cold rush felt good running down her throat, cooling off the heat in her face. It had a stronger metallic taste than normal, more like a purified bottle that had been opened the previous day, rather than fresh spring water she had just bought. Wiping the sides of her mouth as she took a deep breath, the pinkette tried to shake it off. The cap had been secured and it wasn't opened before. She was just being paranoid...
None of this could possibly be real, just a weird dream from spending so many nights keeping herself awake from panic. A delusion spun from her deepest fears, forming into the image of the clown and continuing to torment the pinkette even in her sleep. Part of her waited to bolt up in bed, drenched in sweat and laughing at her own stupidity. Cruel reality seeped in when she pinched down hard on the skin of her forearm, closing her eyes and slowly opening them.
Nope. This wasn't a dream, and he was still howling in the other room.
'Asshole...always messing with my head..'
Slamming the fridge door closed, Sakura leaned against it with a sigh. This was ridiculous... It wasn't funny at all. Why the hell wouldn't he just leave, if he wasn't planning on killing her? Just to toy around? Get some kicks from screwing with her? Was he really that bored? She wasn't anyone special... Not a business woman or a mobster, not rich or a drug dealer. She wasn't involved in the criminal activity ging on throughout the city and had no connections to anyone who would. There was only Jin, and the clown started his shit before they met up.
Sakura was only an interpreter... She didn't come from a wealthy family and could be randsomed off. There wasn't some inside information on a crime lord that could be squeezed out. The pinkette wasn't really skilled in anything that would be useful to him, not to go through all this trouble for. There were plenty of other employees from Wayne Enterprises he could have chosen from if it had something to do with that.
She was just a small, pink-haired woman, who just moved back to Gotham a few weeks ago. The apartment she lived in wasn't that big, and neither was her bank account. So... Why? What reason could he possibly have to keep doing this? With everything he's been doing, the Joker couldn't be that bored to bother with someone like her. There were plenty of other people who would be much more entertaining to mess with, especially in this city.
'It doesn't make sense...'
Walking back into the other room, Sakura eyed the man wearily who was standing next to the table, a satisfied grin playing along his lips. Turning away from him with a huff, she sat back down on the chair, folding her arms over her chest.
"Aww. What's wrong, kitten?" The condescending tone was back as he watched the pinkette carefully, examining the expression on her soft features. Without even looking at him, she could feel his stare, practically see the sneer on his face.
"Sakura... Why didn't you shoot me?" What kind of question was that? Shifting on the chair, they stared at each other. Couldn't he see what kind of person she was?
"I already told you. I'm not like you-"
"No." Joker's voice didn't have any hint of humor to it as he stepped closer. "That's not it. Anyone else in this city would have taken the shot. Any sensible person would have killed me... At least because they believed it was the right thing to do. Even though you don't remember-" His voice dropped low, flicking his tongue out. She didn't know where he was going with this, but something in her gut twisted from listening to him. "-I know something inside you does. You know there's a part of you that remembers me... Otherwise, you would have done something about it by now. Earlier, you could have told the Bat about what was going on, but you didn't. He could have used that information to try to find me..."
"How do you know that I didn't?" Sakura's voice was barely above a whisper, brows furrowing as she mulled over his words.
"Oh...well... I, ah, was there...as a paramedic. Ya know, to help out." He chuckled, squatting down next to her.
Sakura looked at his face, knowing it felt familiar. That must have been why she felt so uneasy about seeing him without any of the greasepaint. Part of her didn't want to admit that she knew that face. Even so... What now? It didn't change any of the things he's done. If anything, it was just plain cruel to do that, knowing they had a past.
"Be-sides..." The word was drawn out as he reached forward, tracing her collarbone with a gloved finger. The pinkette sucked in a sharp breath, skin breaking out in goosebumps from the small touch. He barked out a laugh at the reaction, eyes dancing along the pale skin of her chest. " Even if you don't remember me yet...it, ah, seems like your body does." A smirk tugged at the scars around his mouth, completely smug. Without a second though, she leaned forward to smack the look right off of his face. Jumping back, he laughed loudly, dodging the hand effortlessly. Despite the clown's appearance and gruff mannerisms, he was surprisingly agile, light on his feet.
The pinkette ground her teeth, running a hand through her hair. Whether it was from the long day or the clown's endless banter, she was feeling exhausted. Every single day was becoming like an emotional roller coaster that she couldn't manage to get off...
"Tch..." Her head felt heavy as she folded her arms, leaning down against the table. Peaking up, she watched the clown suspiciously. What was he doing now?
The Joker was casually walking around, curiously looking at the various items around the apartment. Picking up a book from the coffee table, quickly sliding through the pages, then tossing it back to its original spot.
'What's he doing?'
Sakura's head lulled back and forth, the weight of it increasing every minute that went by. Now she was sure of it... He did something. Was it the slice of pizza he tossed onto the table? Something on his hands or in the air? How did he do it? Her brows furrowed, trying to sort through anything and everything she could have touched or consumed that he might have tampered with. For all the pinkette knew, he could have done it before she even came out to the livingroom. A smoke bomb that filtered in with the steam in the shower, coated his gloves with some strange chemical, slipped something into one of her drinks...
'Ah... The water bottle... That bastard!'
Looking up at the clown who was flipping through a magazine, it became clear. He was waiting... After breaking in multiple times, he already knew what was in every room.
Furrowing her brows, her thoughts drifted to the images from the past. The charm, her father, the boy...the door.
"Sakura... Ya know, even if you wanted to...you couldn't have shot me. There, ah, weren't any bullets in the gun." Turning towards her with a smirk, Sakura's green eyes widened at the man standing in the middle of her living room. "Nice to know ya don't want me dead.'"
It was just a test...
Sakura tried to stand up from the chair, finding herself unsteady getting onto her own two feet. Everything was starting to feel off, her limbs slowly turning into jelly. This wasn't right... He had the nerve to do all of this, then was deranged enough to slip her something? He really was a monster. What horrible thing was he planning to do now that required him needing to drug her? Unbridled rage poured hot through her veins, wanting to make him feel even a fraction of the pain and grief he's caused her over the last two weeks..
Hissing, she grabbed the plate from the table and sent it flying in the clown's direction. It was heavy and hopefully would smash against his skull, where she was aiming for. He easily side-stepped and moved out of the way at the last second, cackling when it hit the wall, glass shattering and raining down onto the floor.
'Dammit!'
"Woohahaha!" Turning around and striding towards the wall with a strut, the clown nudged a large fragment with the tip of his dress shoe. His lip curled up into a sneer, seemingly enthralled in what he'd seen and the reaction he drew from the small woman huffing across the room.
A man's voice yelled, pounding on the wall from next door. "What the hell are you doing over there? I'm trying to sleep! Fuck!"
Sakura groaned, running a shaky hand through her pink hair. She was starting to feel dizzy from whatever was running through her system. The big guy next door was always bitching. When the television was a little too high or Ino laughed a bit too loudly... He just was dreadful person over all, taking whatever his problem was out on such little 'inconveniences'.
Swaying as she made her way towards the coffee table, the pinkette felt dizzy. Shifting from one foot to the other, she tried to fight off the effects... Her body and mind were shutting down. How can she possibly let herself fall under with this maniac here?
Another pound against the wall made her growl out, wishing he would just knock it off already. The neighbor was making more noise than she had just by throwing a plate...
"What's wrong?" The Joker stepped closer to her, grinning ear-to-ear. "How does that make you feel? Ya want him to stop, right? He's getting under that, ah, nice porcelain skin of yours. Hmm?... Why can't you make noise in your own home? What gives him the right to yell at you or punch the wall?"
His calculating dark eyes stared down at her, standing just inches away. "Makes your blood boil, doesn't it? Want to go over there and throw one of those nice right hooks? He can throw fists, so why can't you. I know what kind of man he is...yelled a few times I was in here before. Come on, sweetheart! I can see it in your eyes. Ya wanna to clock him!"
Reaching out, he took her chin in his hand to make her look up at him. Green eyes wavered, losing focus...
What the hell is he even saying?
"Ya see, I was gonna cut the big guy up, but... I think you should be the one to teach him a lesson. I know he's been a pain in your ass for a while now. Nothing escapes me. Nothing! Hahaha... What do you say?" Her head lulled in his hold, the ache and weight becoming too much. The clown was just testing her again, enjoying the reactions he was drawing from everything he did. Trying to manipulate her thoughts and feeling, like he always does.
"You're crazy. I'm not going to...hurt someone, just because they're...annoying..."
Joker rolled his eyes, snaking his tongue out over his scarred lip as he swayed in front of her. He held her chin tightly between his gloved fingers, letting out an exasperated sigh. "You have all these rules and you think they'll save you!" Pulling something out of his pocket, Sakura could feel the handle of a knife being pushed into her palm.
"Introduce a little anarchy. Throw all those pesky rules out the window. Let go of everything...of all the things that are holding you back from doing what you really want. Those rules that have been drilled into your head, they're nothing but a bad joke. Trust me, I know a bad joke when I see one." The clown cocked his head to the side as he leaned closer... Close enough their noses were almost touching.
"Upset the order and everything turns to chaos... Ya see, I'm an agent of chaos..." Sakura's eyes fluttered, trying to keep them open. Afraid of what will happen if she slips. "And you know the thing about chaos?... It's fair." His finger wagged back and forth, becoming a purple blur.
"Hmm?" Grabbing her arm, he pulled it up with a frown on his face. "You're bleeding..." That's right... The cut on her arm. That had been the furthest thing from her scattered mind with what was going on.
Yanking her arm up, Sakura felt like throwing up when he stuck his tongue out, licking the blood that was running from the wound. It felt scorching hot against her cool skin as he dragged in along, leaving a trail of saliva as he went. Dark eyes stared into hers the whole time, making her want to push him away. If only there was enough strength left...
The Joker's image was turning to waves of purple and green as her vision became unfocused. It was frustrating...so damn frustrating... Her mind was swimming, drifting off somewhere far away. Slowly being submerged into dark water. Images of her memories came and went, becoming suffocating. She was drowning...
"Just shut up, Jack! You're mad!"
Joker's eyes widened, his high-pitched laughter assaulting her ears. Did she say something funny? Why did everything have to be a damn joke to this clown? The room started spinning in a whirlwind of colors as her knees started giving out. The last bit of fight she had came out in the form of a yell, barely registering what she even said.
"Well... Ya know, dollface... Madness is a lot like gravity. Sometimes all you need is a little push!" Letting go of her chin, he pushed her backwards and there was nothing she could do to stop it. Landing on the cushions of the couch, the last thing she heard was his manic laughter as the darkness swept her away...
